"Our lives are similar to the intricate folds of an origami crane, with every fold representing our aims and future expectations, building ourselves…striving. While every wrong fold represents our set backs and regrets our failures… but the end result is what you decide to make it…"

…

"So make your own crane and relish in the mistakes you make, live… don't just exist!"

Origami Traits

One Shot

By Kuumo~

Orange. Naruto himself prided himself upon that colour, he couldn't help it. It just appealed to him in the most particular way. It was strange, it was bright, it was warm... it was unique. Like the symbols that clans appointed as their own, the Uchiha had their fans; the Haruno had their whit hoop.

Orange was Naruto. Naruto was Orange. Who would carry on that colour? His clan?

"Oi, Naruto!" a voice called, rattling said blonde Shinobi from his current troubling thoughts and his conscious thought turned to a current team mate.

Cerulean iris's eyed ebony skin and hair the colour of ink that split in straight strands along his forehead and rested against his neck perfectly. Black ceremonial kimono shirt adorning the pattern of grey and white stalks, clouds and lion grass. Bright red and gold koi fish wove up his sleeves in a tangle of shimmering tailoring.

He looked perfect.

"Wow Sai, you actually look like a normal participant of society" Naruto teased, watching the boys sultry expression twist in the form of a fake smile, eyes closed and Naruto knew what would come next.

"Ah, you plan on being a child? Good, cause your penis confirms it" Sai smiled his creepy smile and Naruto narrowed his eyes dangerously. Two girls walked by just in time to hear the taunt, wide eyeing the two men in disturbance and surprise, before shuffling off in embarrassment and giggles. Naruto inwardly groaned.

"Don't you think penis jokes are getting old?" Naruto asked with his voice raised in anger and annoyance, which only rose as the sight of Sai looking over the bridges railing and staring at the tainted water from the lantern and fairy lights that went along the phone lines. He was ignoring Naruto's embarrassment.

"What about penis?" Sai asked off handedly, still staring at the saturated light as they reflected off the rivers slow flowing weight, submerged small lily pads and paper flowers were carried by the current. The Konoha children's wished were upon those fragile, soaked, sunken boats.

Sai felt (assumed) melancholy.

"Never mind" Naruto sighed, crashing a large hand upon his brow, closing his eyes and sighing in exasperation. But as Sai only remained silent Naruto opened a single lid and watched the socially unaware boy stared fixated upon something.

Curious at what held his attention; 'Orange' walked over to the concentrating boy and leaned over the railing to see what he looked upon. Naruto only widened his eyes in realization of the scene and the memories that flickered in his head and 'Color's' shoulders slumped in silence ad angst clouded his blonde head.

Silence plagued the rarely silent ninja.

"Did… you make one of those?" Sai's voice was slightly strained and enquiring, the soft trickle of the water pulling dream and hopes in its waters, sinking to the bottom of the river, catching the thick reeds and the ones that made it to the end were only caught by the sewage bars at the end of the rivers glory.

Naruto looked at the other boy with clouded eyes before answering straight.

"I… I wasn't allowed to, though I don't really need a stupid paper flower to make my dream come true… in" Naruto whispered carefully, remembering.

… Wide, tear rimmed eyes watched as families and friends wrote their dreams upon the flower, cheering and laughing as the rivers drift carried them away…

"In my position as a child, I wasn't allowed to write my dream on a flower" Naruto couldn't believe how hoarse he sounded as he spoke.

… Small sobs wracked his body as he counted his money for the seventh time in the hopes he was wrong and he had enough money to buy a small paper flower… to have the chance to write down his own dream…

"Because I watched as…" his voice quivered as he finally finished.

…Small sandaled feet pattered along the high river bank, following the flowers down the water trail until he watched them be caught by the reeds thick growth… he released them from their prison…

"People trusted their dreams onto a paper flower and not themselves… and all I heard was..." These words were put together. Naruto wondered why and how they came out so perfectly, when he was such a mess inside.

… Clear liquid pattered on the dirt roads the eyes the came from watched older children wait for he flowers, only to scoop them up and read them, terminating the possible dream... he defeated those who would stop others (their) dreams…

"People who ridiculed and attacked each others dreams, never accepting" anger tore his throat as his memories surfaced.

… Blood dribbled down his left cheek, mixing with the salty water of his ocean eyes as he finally followed to the end of the river, the biggest opponent wasn't reeds or other people, but an object that took the form of cement and cast iron bars… he could do nothing…only watch as others dreams were caught and destroyed…

"I trust my dream to the stars… not a silly flower" Naruto concluded softly, eyes softening.

'Like to see them get caught by rivers currents and reeds' Naruto humored half heartedly and pointed directly to the sky, pointing to the same star he always pointed, wished and hoped upon.

… Naruto decided to stop crying…

"I want to go make one" Sai concluded softely and looked up at Naruto. Naruto nodded, and followed the black haired boy to the stall, threading through adults and children all controlled by animated conversation and laughter. Naruto felt his head spin with colour, sounds and envy… he was here, in the area that was forbidden to him as a child. But eyes locked upon the boy Naruto was currently walking beside to take place in the line to the stall, whose reason for being here was under hot debate.

"Even though I watched those flowers being caught and taken" Sai began, sensing Naruto's confusion as to why he was buying a flower anyway.

"It is only a metaphor, because the people who wrote those dreams still have faith… our dream might be doomed from the start but we still dream on regardless…" Sai concluded, stepping foreword a few paces as the line drew closer to the front of the stall, the light became brighter and the prices where nearly close enough to see, though the ryo really was nothing after year of missions and money that seemed to pile up because he never had anything to spend it on, but the need to explain more t Naruto was still within him.

"Dreams come and go, no matter how big or small they are" Sai added carefully, raising a skilled foot to step carefully over some spilt substance, that looked disturbingly a lot like ice shavings, while Naruto ignored it and stepped through the mushy liquid subconsciously.

"No dream is forgotten, you can't give up on a dream" Naruto told him fiercely, his eye brows drawn down in anger at the stupid things Sai was sprouting. Sai immediately acknowledged his fault and went immediately on to mend it before Naruto took it too badly.

Dreams were a one way road for Naruto

"Your right, but I still have faith and isn't that what I need to make my dream? If our faith is in the right place all dreams are possible" Sai reasoned with carefully, his hand was spread in exaggeration as the man before them moved off after his purchase, his bickering daughter was screaming her delight as he handed the emerald green thin paper flower into her small hands, rapidly reciting all her possible wish choices. Naruto smiled faintly at the girl and at Sai's agreement with him, feeling slightly smug that he made Sai retrace his words, as he allowed said boy to waste his money.

Naruto was silent as he watched Sai purchase his own flower, also as he handed him a matching orange one. Its intricate origami folds fascinated and made Naruto wary at the same time, Sai caught the confusion before Naruto could voice it again.

"If you don't have faith in the river, than become your own river and let the flower flow along yourself" he said quiet inspiringly, which made Naruto think about the flower in his hand hat was slight clenched in his fist in realization. Sai handed him a thin brush, black ink still wet as he offered. Naruto grinned and took it in his hand and placed it upon the wooden table and scribbled his wish. Finally finished the blonde turned to the familiar ink hair boy and stared at him, resulting in Sai's raised brow.

"You're a weirdo" Naruto deadpanned, stuffing the orange flower in his own haori bright sleeve once the ink was dry. Crossing his arms over his chest one finished, Naruto didn't look too impressed at the paler-than-the-moon man.

"What ever dickless" Sai countered loudly, the glares from both adults and parents, confused looks from the children and humorous explosions from the youth.

"There's kids here man! Easy on the genital jokes" Naruto hushed, slightly embarrassed by the boy behavior, unknowing of the slight sense of foreboding that tingled up his neck and lower spine a chill crept up his body. Something was off…

"It's not like they don't have them, beside there all children… you could compare" Sai said calmly, dropping to one knee and releasing the pristine white flower on a journey with unknown bounds.

Sai felt (assumed) tranquility.

An audible crack sounded.

"Start running smart ass" Naruto's voice was deadly as he all but dived to tackle his currently (truly) smiling friend and trusted team mate.

The beginning…

A/N

Heh… the little thing at the top was a little hard to write, but it just seemed to flow out of me since my friend told me she liked the idea of becoming your own river and floating (or windsurfing!!!) down it. I found myself very emotional afterwards, but I don't know why! *Sigh*

Another one shot will be soon enough, a Sakura based one… then, I hope by then, my Sai and Sakura one afterwards…