Title: Figment of Reality
Author: Ryuk-chan
Rating: T (currently)
Chapter: Prologue
Disclaimer: Naruto not mine. =(

Info: Future SasuNaru, some profanity, etc.

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Prologue

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The scent of coffee still stained his clothes, yet did little to lighten his exhaustion. The masses of people bustled around him, many of which annoyed by his sluggish pace. Life in the Konoha City is fast and always busy, which was one of the reasons the blonde was so tired in the first place. After working an entire shift as a favor and waking up early to help a friend move, Naruto Uzumaki was ready to crash.

A shrill cell phone ring shook him out his reverie.

"Hello," he sighed. He hadn't even looked at the caller I.D., but didn't care. Whoever it was would help keep him awake.

"Naruto! You sound awful!" a familiar voice practically shouted in his ear. He was right. This person could definitely keep him awake.

"Don't worry 'bout me, Ino, I'm fine. Really," he gave a fake laugh, attempting to placate her. "Just tired. Ready to hop on the bus and get home."

"Oh okay," she sighed in relief. "Well you'd better hurry up. It's like, 5 o'clock or something. I think a little after. If you aren't already at your stop you really ought to be."

"Heh, well –" Naruto paused mid-sentence. 5 o'clock? "Holy shit! I'm gonna miss it!"

He wasn't sure if Ino was still on the line as he bolted down the street. Shoving through the crowd, he saw the stop… and the bus approaching. He had made it, just in time.

Bus 56 pulled up and halted on the edge of the sidewalk. Naruto let out a breath of relief, and shoved his hands into his pocket for his last bus token. A few people were already at the stop, tuning out the blonde's loud panting as they boarded the bus.

"Found it!" Naruto shouted in triumph.

"Hold on," there was someone beside him, speaking to him. But he didn't recognize the voice.

He turned to his left and his blue eyes met with midnight black ones.

"Huh? Are you talking to me?"

The person grabbed Naruto's wrist and tugged slightly. The boy looked around Naruto's age, but slightly taller. He had jet black hair, like his eyes, and shot it up in spikes in the back. "Don't get on this bus," he said firmly, pulling a little more.

"What the—" Naruto was completely confused now. Why on earth would some stranger be demanding for him to stay off a bus? "Why the hell not?" he snapped, annoyed. He was too tired for this.

"You just…can't. Take a cab."

"I can't afford that. And who are you to tell me what to do?"

"Here," the guy said, ignoring the question. His pale hand slid into a pocket and reappeared with a fifty. "Use this as cab fare. I insist. Just don't get on this bus. Please." He sounded like he was begging now.

Slowly Naruto took the money, still completely lost.

"Are you getting on or not, kid?" another unfamiliar voice snapped, only this time it wasn't as velvety as the dark-haired stranger's in front of him.

It belonged to the bus driver, impatiently watching Naruto at the door.

"I guess I'm not," the blonde smiled sheepishly at her. She glared back in a response, and slammed the doors shut. She'd probably be a total bitch to him for a while, since he made her run behind schedule.

Realizing this, Naruto growled in irritation. "Thanks a lot—" he turned back to where the brunette to discover there was no one there.

"…what?" Naruto was stood there motionless, not sure if it was out of confusion or shock. This entire thing was too weird. Today had to have been the strangest day ever, all because of that one stupid pushy black-haired guy. All Naruto wanted to do was get home and sleep… but it seemed like the whole world was against him today.

A cab halted in the street right next to the blonde shortly after, jolting him out of his reverie. "I got a call that someone down here needed a ride," the driver shouted toward him through the open car window.

Naruto grinned and shook his head, no longer caring about the craziness that had happened moments ago. He could finally get home, curl up in his soft, orange bed, and pass out. He slid into the yellow vehicle, told the driver the address, and slammed the door shut. They rode along in silence until Naruto heard a small, muffled yell.

It was the forgotten cell phone in his coat pocket.

"Ino, Ino!" he wailed. "I'm so sorry!"

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Several blocks and apologies later, Naruto had calmed Ino down and explained the story to her. The girl's disbelief was beginning to work on his nerves.

"I swear I'm not lying, Ino. I'm in the freakin' taxi now," he groaned, sleepier than before.

"Yeah, but it still doesn't make any sense. Some random guy waltzing up to you and giving you free money? Doesn't add up if you ask me," she said, tone filled with suspicion.

"That's why no one asked you." Finally at his destination, he paid the driver the fifty, collected his change, and climbed out the car. The bright yellow taxicab earned him a number of looks as he casually walked into the apartment complex; no one living in this neighborhood should be able to afford a cab ride from anywhere.

Naruto silently climbed the worn stairs to his room on the third floor. With Ino's voice still going on about nothing in his ear, he went inside and collapsed onto his bed.

"Ino, I really have to go. I'm dead-beat tired."

"Oh, okay, well… talk to you later."

Sleep claimed him seconds later. His dreams littered with a pale face and pleading dark eyes.

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Another phone call.

"Dammit. That was the best sleep I've ever had, too…" the blond mumbled angrily into his pillow while he blindly felt around for his buzzing cell phone.

"Hello?" The words came out muffled from the pillow, but he was stil to sleepy to care.

"Dude! I'm so glad you're alive! They didn't release your name, so I had hoped…and you are!"

It was Kiba this time, and he actually sounded serious.

"Of course I'm alive," Naruto rolled over, rubbing sleep out of his eyes. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Then you didn't ride the bus home last night?"

"For the first time, no. I took a cab. What does it matt—"

"Your bus route home… Bus 56, right? Got in a bad accident. About a dozen deaths, I think. All the surviving passengers had serious injuries, too. It's all over the news, man."

Naruto shot straight up. He flew out of bed to the television set in his small living room and cut it on.

The news flickered onto the screen and the anchor's voice filled the now deathly silent room.

"We've just confirmed another fatality from the traumatic bus accident down Suna Avenue last night. This last victim died in ICU at the Konoha City General Hospital thirty minutes ago. This is the fifteenth casualty from this crash. Police have told us they believe the engine exploded, causing the bus to flip over and catch fire—"

Naruto cut the television off, still stunned at everything that had transpired in less than 24 hours.

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Like it? Love it? Hate it? Please review! I really want to know what you think before I post anymore!

~ Ryuk-chan