Okay, here it is - My one-shot for the week of December the 16th! TOMB, by ALLEY MCNALLY! Okay, it's not that dramatic, but it was fun to write. It gave me a breather while writing "The Will of Fire" and provided a new challenge for me. I have never written for Naruto before. Now, I have and I have to say that I like the result!
Now, as I said before this is a One-Shot. There will be no more written after this chapter. EVER. This is just a little extra nugget while I am working on the story that keeps getting bigger. Please do check out "The Will of Fire," my current epic going on right now. Finally, if you are reading this after Christmas 2014, check out my special christmas story on my profile. It will be posted on Christmas Day next week.
Now enough talking, on to the story!
TOMB
A one-shot written by Alley McNally
Naruto had just lost to Sasuke again. Somehow the idiot managed to show him up every-time they sparred! He looked like an idiot yet again. How does Sasuke look so damm cool? Naruto just messed everything up again. It was so darn frustrating! He felt stupid. He was pathetic. He was the worst student at the Academy that was for sure! At this rate I'll never be Hokage!
Naruto walked around the village aimlessly. He didn't want to go home but he didn't have anywhere else to go. It wasn't like anyone waiting for him at home. He lived with everyone's hate and fear. Loneliness pressed down on his chest like a vice. It's always the same. No one cares.
Naruto closed his eyes and ran. He didn't want to think about where he was going. He didn't want to think anymore. He didn't want to be here. He wanted to escape. Eventually, he tripped and fell. Pain flowed with the blood dripping from his leg. Damm it! He cursed himself. He had been careless. I'm so weak! He looked at himself. He wasn't cool. He wasn't strong. He wasn't fast. He was nothing and he hated it. I'll never beat Sasuke!
Naruto slowly got up and limped down the street. Pain shot through him as he tried to walk. Damm it! Just heal already! He needed to sit down for a bit. Sadly, Naruto had no idea where he was. He was in a part of the Leaf Village that Naruto had never been to before. The nearby were well maintained but not ritzy. Each house had a yard surrounded by a wall. Every gate was closed and no one was around. Not that anyone would help him anyway. He was an outcast. No one wanted one of those.
Naruto forced himself to move on. There was no point in staying here. It had started to rain anyway. He had to find the way home. Too bad each way he went he found nothing but more boring houses. Slowly, the area started to open up. The houses now lacked walls or gates. Not that it mattered. No one would let him in anyway.
Eventually, he found a single house on the street that he could go house was showing signs of neglect. It was clear that no one had lived there in a very long time. There were no signs of life. In fact, it looked like people avoided the place! Which was perfect for Naruto. He could get out of the rain and rest while his darned leg healed. No one would bother for him here.
Naruto trudged up the stairs leading to the door. It was strange for a one family house to have the entrance upstairs, but he didn't pay attention. Instead, he pushed on. When he got to the door - it was locked.
He tried the handle over and over again, but it would not budge. He was about to force it open when he noticed that a single window was open. It was only open a crack, but was enough. Naruto threw open the window then climbed in. As he passed through the window, he felt a strange tingling sensation. Naruto ignored it. He didn't care.
The place was nice once. It was not messy like his apartment. Everything was tidy. Only it was covered in a thick layer of dust. It almost as if the owners just disappeared one day and never came back. It was kind of creepy but Naruto wasn't picky. He could hide here for a while. Besides it was getting late and Naruto was tired. Tomorrow he could find his way home. He doubted that the owners would notice. Wherever they are.
Naruto plopped down on the couch. A cloud of dust kicked out as he threw himself into the furniture. He coughed for a few minutes afterwards. After it finally passed, he laid down and went to sleep.
He woke up a few hours later because he needed to go to the bathroom. Only problem was he didn't know where it was! He got up then immediately ran into a table. He could barely see a thing! It didn't help that he didn't know where anything was. This wasn't his house after all! He stumbled to the wall. Eventually, he found a light switch. Which didn't work. No power. Duh, No one lives here! He admonished himself. Provably means no running water either.
Suddenly, his need to go use the bathroom amped up. Doesn't matter. I have to go! Naruto searched the main floor but there were no signs of a bathroom. So, he went downstairs. There were four rooms on the floor. All of them unmarked. Damm it, I don't have time for this!
The first room he opened was a library. It was full of scrolls and books of all sizes. Naruto wasn't one for such rooms. Despite this he was curious. So he entered the room. As he entered he felt another tingling sensation. This house is weird. He pulled a random scroll off the shelf. It contained some jutsu that Naruto didn't understand. They must have been shinobi.
Suddenly, he felt guilty. The house ceased to be a house. Instead it became a tomb for some unnamed ninja. A shrine that shouldn't have been disturbed. They provably died on a mission or something. Naruto decided that he should leave as soon as possible. I shouldn't be here! He put the scroll back from where it came from.
He would have left that moment, but he really had to go! Besides it was still raining. So, Naruto would stay a little longer. He left the study in search of the mythical bathroom. As he left, he felt that same tingle. What is that? He inspected the doorway. There was nothing unusual about it. Yet he felt the same thing as he went across a third time! This place is weird, Dattebayo! He thought as he crossed the doorframe again.
The next room he opened turned out to be the bathroom. Naruto was surprised how simple it was. There was a bathtub, a sink, and a toilet. Nothing was extravagant but it was stylish. Naruto opened the toilet. To his surprise, there was still water there but it didn't look very nice. It's color was off putting, but he needed to go badly. So, he closed his eyes and went.
Afterwards, he flushed the toilet only to have nothing fill up in it's place. Yup, no running water. He couldn't wash his hands. Not that Naruto really wanted to. He just didn't care. Instead, he explored the room further. He found nothing terribly exciting about the room. The only thing he could find interesting was all the hair products on the shelf. Somebody truly liked their hair. She must have been a prissy. He picked up one of them. It was made specifically for blonde hair. We have the same color hair! Naruto smiled as he put the shampoo back where it came from. He was getting to like these people.
He was curious to find out who these people where but didn't want to disturb the tomb. Naruto knew that he should leave. He just couldn't make himself do it. He was far too curious. He left the bathroom and opened up another door. This one lead to a unused nursery.
Naruto's heart stopped when he read the text above the crib. It said, "N-a-r-u-t-o" in large letters. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. It was impossible. It couldn't have possibly have been his home.
"Naruto." He said out-loud.
This couldn't be his home. It couldn't have been where he was supposed to live. It just couldn't be! But there were no other Naruto's in the village. So, it had to be his home. This must have been where he and his family once lived.
Naruto went inspected the room. There were diapers and baby power lined up and ready to go. None of it was used. The powder even had the sticker on the top on it. There were baby toys all placed just so. It looked as if none of it had even been used! Didn't I ever live here? Like even for a minute?
"Why? Why?" He demanded. No one answered. No one ever answered. What happened? Who are you? He thought as he ran out of the room.
There was only one more door to open. One more room to check. The farthest door to the right hadn't been searched. Maybe there he would fin a clue to the identity of owners of this house, his parents. Maybe he would at last know their names.
He threw open the door to reveal a ordinary master bedroom. A large double bed dominated the space. It was neat and tidy like the other rooms. It had the same thick layer of dust that covered everything. He tried to contain his disappointment as he entered the room.
Naruto didn't want to give up, so he searched the closet. To his surprise, it contained long white coats with a flame detail on it. And only those coast. Naruto whipped one off the hanger to look at it.
He recognized the coat immediately. It belonged to the Fourth Hokage. He stared at it for a while. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. This house belonged to the Fourth Hokage. He was stunned. It was almost too crazy to be true. It couldn't be.
Naruto headed to the bedside and found a picture frame covered in dust. After brushing it off, he found a picture of Lord Fourth and a red haired woman smiling. This was his house. It just has to be.
For the first time Naruto noticed the similarities between himself and the Fourth Hokage. They had the same hair and the same color eyes. His face had a different shape, but it matched the woman in the photo. There was no denying it. He looked like them. I am their son.
Naruto sat on the bed with the cloak in his lap and the photo in his hands. He cried for hours over a family he never had. Now it made sense why his parents were gone. Naruto remembered the Old Man's words, They were heroes. For the first time in his life, Naruto truly understood what he meant.
Suddenly, the Fourth Hokage meant more to him than ever he did. He had a new title now.
"Dad."
That's it for this story, check out "The Will of Fire" for more awesomeness!