„Speaking"
„Thoughts"
Disclaimer: I don´t own Naruto!
Summary: Crimson Red eyes were looking straight into Sky Blue ones. The intimidating cold eyes were unusual warm and zoomed on him, as if they were staring straight into his soul. It was so strange, but in this moment Naruto felt as if his life would take a completely new turn. Maybe it was the gaze of the strange man with the Dark Red hair who looked so unapproachable and filled with something bitter that made Naruto stop and stare, but it was as if he met an old friend again…
Chapter 1
Shoulders were slightly hunched in on himself. His head lowered to stare at the ground. It was depressing for him. He ignored the hate filled glares and slight whispers like he always did, but there was something bothering him. It wouldn´t leave him alone and every time he thought about it his chest would ache.
"Ne! Ne! Kakashi-sensei? Could you maybe train me a bit more for the chunin exams? Maybe if you had some time I would like to ask you something-!" Naruto began hopefully and more quietly than usual.
But his Sensei already cut him off.
"Maa, sorry Naruto. I can´t. I have something to do. I am sure you are confident in your skills, right? Don´t worry!" Kakashi just waved him off causally and disappeared and Naruto wasn´t sure what hurt him more. That Kakashi ignored him again or that he couldn´t even spare five minutes for an important talk with his student.
If Kakahsi had waited for a few seconds more he would have seen the hurt that flashed in these disappointed Sky Blue eyes that seemed to accept the rejection like he expected it.
"Ah, no it´s okay Sensei. After all I have my answer now. No need to talk." Naruto muttered with a pain filled smile as he walked off. His teammates were already gone, as if they wanted to spend time together with him.
"He´s like all the others. I should have known. Maybe I am really stupid like they all said." Naruto mumbled quietly to himself. His eyes were turned onto the ground and he couldn´t even form his usual smile that he put up for show.
If one looked at Naruto closely one would see, that the weak and stupid dead last, wasn´t as weak and dumb as they thought. He sometimes hesitated to speak his mind, because he was unsure and insecure about how the others would react. If the villagers heard him say something smart, they would surely start getting violent. He had to wait for a bit more, just enough so he could defend himself property, then he could speak his mind freely.
Not to mention everything he said he thought was smart was dumb. He had studied for his academy tests back then and he saw that his answers were correct. He looked over Sakura´s test and they were similar, but everything was marked wrong and after a while Naruto stopped trying.
Let them believe he was dumb, then they would understate him and that would be their downfalls. Naruto was usually a person who spoke his mind if he believed what he said was right and he would do it, but there was still that hidden fear. That if he really was like himself that he would be really dumb. This way he could be sure that he wasn´t as stupid as they thought. If he opened up more he couldn´t really protect himself against the hurtful words of his friends because then they would know the real him.
Don´t get him wrong. He could be all of the things he made himself appear to be, but it was a bit more down toned and he didn´t show sides he could be as well. He could be smart, quiet and polite. But why should he show them that? Why should he be polite and respectful if they weren´t respecting him and were rude to him?
Generally, it didn´t matter what people thought of him. Naruto was a person who didn´t care about such things in reality, but he was scared to lose the precious people he already had. He would just show a bit more of himself until he was completely like himself. That would work.
"Look! Isn´t that man scary? He scarred of a few other people who tried to talk to him! He even punched one! The ninja seems to be wary of him too! Maybe he is an enemy? He even sits on its Swing!" Naruto heard the hushing whispers from a woman near the park.
Naruto raised his head and looked up, he saw that the people weren´t glaring at him. Instead they were glaring or looking at a Redhaired Stranger, who sat on his swing. The one he went to every time he was sad. He was so shocked that it pushed the sadness away.
The man had Dark Red hair that was unruly and wild. He was scowling or more like glaring at everything. His eyes were narrowed and seemed bored, but there was a hiding bitterness in them that made Naruto take a double take. The color surprised Naruto. It´s rich crimson red… It was then that Naruto noticed something.
The man was staring at him.
Crimson Red eyes were looking straight into Sky Blue ones.
The intimidating cold eyes were unusual warm and zoomed on him, as if they were staring straight into his soul. It was so strange, but in this moment Naruto felt as if his life would take a completely new turn. Maybe it was the gaze of the strange man with the Dark Red hair who looked so unapproachable and filled with something bitter that made Naruto stop and stare, but it was as if he met an old friend again…
Naruto blinked a few times and continued walking then. Moving through the crowd towards his other secret spot in the forest by a large lake with a water fall. It would soothe him.
"This day just keeps getting weirder." He thought as he sped through trees. He hadn´t noticed that the man followed him. Still, he couldn´t get that red hair out of his mind.
When he was finally in the clearing he sat down on the grass and looked at the lake. The water reflecting his image. He began to daydream.
"Hey…" a deep rough voice said and Naruto was startled and gave of an unmanly scream.
He almost fell into the lake if the Redhead hadn´t pulled him back.
"Wh-WHA? Who are you? What are you doing here?" Naruto stammered as he backed away. The redhead only looked at him and give a slight smirk.
"Well, I guess there is something true about the cliché about dumb blondes." The redhead muttered and Naruto only glared at him.
"Answer my question!" Naruto demanded with a frown. He wasn´t in the mood for jokes.
The Redhead just laid down on the grass without a care in the world. "Why should I? You aren´t asking nicely enough to deserve to know it." He said lightly as he looked up at the clouds and Naruto huffed.
"Well then, if you won´t answer me then I can call you what I want right? Hmm, what name would suit you? How about Aka-chan? Doesn´t that sound nice?" Naruto mocked with a smirk as the Redhead´s eye twitched.
"Oi…" He growled out as a warning and Naruto couldn´t help it. He burst out laughing at the look on the Redheads face.
"Just kidding! Now would you please tell me your name?" Naruto chuckled softly as he looked at the surprised Redhead with calm blue eyes. The redhead was shocked, that was a side he didn´t know that Naruto possessed this early.
"Why? Maybe you won´t see me again after this? So, why bother knowing my name?" The Redhead questioned with the same bored look from before. Still, Naruto took it as a good sign. There was no frown.
"Why not? Everybody deserves to be known as what he/she´s called. If I would go after the rumors of the villagers you would be just "A Redhaired Jerk". I think everyone likes to be called what they are named." Naruto explained with a small smile and the Redhead snorted.
"Talking from experience, huh?" He stated lightly as he watched Naruto grin sheepishly out of the corner of his eyes. He forced the guilt he felt down.
"Fine, but you have to promise me that you won´t tell anybody about it. That you try your best not to slip up around other people." He demanded with serious eyes and Naruto nodded. He felt as if this moment was important.
"Kurama." The Redhead told him and sat up.
Naruto´s eyes widen at the unique name. It suited the stranger and it sounded pretty cool.
"Nice to meet you Kurama! I am Naruto Uzumaki! Future Hokage of Konoha!" Naruto cheered with a bright grin. The one being greeted just sighed. Such energy was tiring.
"Don´t force yourself to be extra cheerful if you don´t mean it." Kurama replied as he frowned at Naruto, who looked at him dumbfounded.
"How?..." He muttered in confusion, eyes narrowed in distrust. It couldn´t be possible for someone who knew him for a few minutes to be able to tell apart when he was truthful with his emotions. He stiffened and tried not to show to much of how he was on guard.
"Well, if one has known you since birth it is pretty obvious." Kurama thought, but decided he would just make something up. He poked Naruto on the forehead.
"It´s obvious. Now get that look of your face. I am not out to get you." He scoffed as Naruto pouted at him, still mistrusting him a bit, but he decided he would let it go for now. No need to be hostile to someone who was nice to him for a change.
"How should I know that? I mean just because you seem nice, doesn´t mean that you are nice! I had to test if my intuition is right, ya know!" Naruto defended himself as he stuck his tongue out at the Redhead. "It´s scary how I am already so comfortable around him..."
Kurama perked up at that. "And what does your intuition say?" He inquired interested. His crimson eyes seemed blank, as if he had no emotion, but Naruto couldn´t help but think that he had seen such eyes before.
"You seem bitter and guilty about something, but I honestly think you are a good person and wouldn´t hurt me." Naruto confessed with a slight smile as Kurama´s eyes softened a bit. They still seemed ice cold from the outside view, but Naruto had a feeling it was just a façade.
"Who would want to hurt such a weak Brat? That´s like kicking a young fox." Kurama snorted at the offended look on Naruto´s face.
"I will have you know that I am not weak! I-!" Naruto growled out and he didn´t know why it hurt him more that this stranger thought he was weak when it didn´t hurt as much as by Kakashi. He didn´t even have to prove something to a stranger!
"I know. Don´t you know what teasing is? Anyway, I have a deal which I think would interest you." Kurama spoke up with serious eyes and Naruto instantly straightened up. He swallowed at the intensive look he got. He tried to make himself relax.
"I want to be your friend, but you would have to trust me. I would also help you out with your ninja training a bit, but you would have to let that stupid mask down. I already talked with your Hokage and he said I could try to be your guardian. What do you say Brat?" Kurama suggested with something akin to nervousness. Not that he showed that. But he couldn´t let this opportunity slip through his fingers.
"Damned human feelings…" He thought irritated. He would have to get used to them.
Naruto´s jaw dropped in shock. He started stammering. "B-But why would you do something like that? The old man did?! Wait. I only know you for about half an hour!" Naruto protested as he frowned.
Still, it would be nice to have someone who wanted to help him and he could call a true friend…maybe even family? It made his chest feel warm. He was really that desperate, huh?
"I was informed that you knew sealing and I would like to show you something. Not to mention I don`t have friends." Kurama stated as he picked up Naruto like he weighted nothing. He started sprinting through the trees until they stopped at a large house like compound.
Kurama dropped Naruto who complained and took out a kunai. Naruto, who stood up and brushed of his clothes glared at Kurama, who took his hand and cut him with a kunai.
"H-Hey-!" Naruto winced as his blood dripped down onto an old looking seal and suddenly the door opened. This was too much. First this stranger showed up and insulted him, then he wanted to be his friend, then he got knowledge about something Naruto was sure nobody knew about, not even the old man and he was kidnapped!
"That´s the home of the Yondaime. I am sure you can make the connection yourself. Now let´s get inside." Kurama informed Naruto watching him carefully as he dragged him inside. It didn´t take long before Naruto paled and various emotion crossed his face. Anger, sorrow, grief, understanding, relief, happiness and at last pride.
"It´s a small price to pay for getting him to trust me, he should have known from the start already." Kurama thought with anger. He still despised this place. Thank god he already made everything clear with the old batt of an Hokage.
"…Okay, I trust you. Could you tell me a bit about yourself?" Naruto requested with a small grin, though the tears made Kurama internally wince. It was so strange to see him cry. Since he had known the kit he hadn´t cried more than five times.
The two began to talk about how to improve Naruto´s training at first, how he could use the shadow clones more productively, about how Naruto felt about his team and Kurama told him a few dislikes and likes, that he didn´t know where he came from and that he knew what was inside Naruto.
"They are idiots. All of them. Why do you even like such a girl?" Kurama growled out in annoyance as Naruto frowned.
"She was smart. There was this one girl I thought was pretty too, but she doesn´t like me…" He trailed off with a sad smile. He thought back to the shy pale girl he saw three week ago.
Kurama raised an eyebrow. "What is she like?" He asked as he made tea. They were currently in the kitchen.
The house was big. It was after all the home of the Yondaime.
"She´s really kind and strong! She has short blue hair and pretty white eyes! She is the daughter of the Hyuuga Clan head and her name is Hinata! But she´s scared of me… she always trembles when I am near and her whole face is red! She even stutters more!" Naruto bit out frustrated and sad and Kurama finally understood him.
"No wonder, he doesn´t think it´s possible for her to like him if he thought about her like this the whole time…" He thought with anger. He had seen how the young Hyuuga stood up against Pain in the future! Why couldn´t she be so confident now?
"She doesn´t hate you. I assure you that. I think she´s just nervous." Kurama forced out trying not to give of killing intent. Naruto seemed surprised at that. Hopeful blue eyes stared into Crimson Red ones.
"Really?" He asked for assurance and Kurama just nodded stiffly.
"Now next thing. You will speak your mind whenever you think it´s stupid or smart." Kurama ordered and Naruto stiffened.
"But!" He began to protest. There´s no way he could do that just now!
"You will do it. You have that Nara kid that´s on a team in your generation, right? The chuunin exams are coming up in a month. Ask him if he wants to team up. Show him that you are not that dumb. From what I heard, his team is the weakest in this generation, if he knows that you aren´t stupid, he would think twice about attacking your team." Kurama explained with cold eyes.
Blood Red piercing through Blue ones.
A minutes passed and Naruto sighed and nodded.
"All right. I guess, you are right." He admitted with a weak chuckle. He thanked Kurama for the cup of tea and began to drink. He put the cup back on the table and looked up at Kurama, through his Blond bangs, they were getting a bit longer since the last time he cut them.
"Kurama? Why did you want to be my friend?" Naruto asked softly as he narrowed his eyes at the Redhead, who just drank from his own cup.
A light scowl settled on Kurama´s face as he leaned back in his chair. He crossed his arms in front of his chest.
"I told you. I don´t have friends and I thought you would make a good one. Is that so hard to understand?" He growled out softly as Naruto´s eyes softened and he nodded. He knew that wasn´t the only reason but he would let it go right now.
"Now go to bed. It´s late." Kurama ordered and Naruto snorted. "All right mom." And he went upstairs with a small smile filled with warmth. His Sky-blue eyes seemed more alive than yesterday.
"Stupid Kit." Kurama muttered as he rolled his eyes. "Now, what to do with his stupid team." He thought with a glare as he moved the cups towards the sink. Hopefully he wouldn´t have to maim someone. His eyes narrowed at the thought of the Uchiha.