A/N: It has occurred to me that, in my travels, I have yet to see any NarutoxSankarea crossovers. It also occurred to me that a certain blonde shinobi wouldn't tolerate her asshole of a father for more than a few minutes, were they ever to meet. I have no intention of stealing any pairings here! I just thought it would be cute to write a funny, fluffy little story, sprinkled with just the right amount of angst and amusement. Before reading this, however, I sincerely suggest you familiarize yourself with the anime/manga Sankarea itself. And with that being said...

...I sincerely hope you enjoy Hearts Burst Into Fire!

"Just...who are you?"

~Sanka Rea.

Wishing Well

"Nooooooooooooooo!"

She cried as loud and hard she dare; screaming out her feelings into the deepest, darkest depths of the well. Uncaring, as the rain struck her skin, soaking her through and through; because no amount of water, no deluge, could ever hope to cleanse this filth, to wash this misery away. She was soiled to the depths of her soul and there was nothing she could ever do to change that, to wipe clean the slate of sadness and sorrow that so defined her young life. She was sick of it all.

So very sick.

Sanka Rea, only daughter of the Sanka family, was venting, expressing her stress, sorrow and frustration, the only way she knew how. By screaming. But she daren't shout at her Otou-sama, nor her stepmother face to face. She hadn't the courage for that. She'd tried to make him stop, once. And it had only caused her friend to suffer. Her courage had only hurt her in the end, caused such suffering that the girl she'd thought her friend had abandoned her; filled her with such sorrow she thought she must surely shatter. She'd since resolved to accept the pain; to be miserable for the sake of others,

But she was nothing if not stubborn. So she came to this abandoned building whenever she was able, not to hide, but to vent. To cry out her frustrated feelings into the darkened depths of a well that would never answer; would never reproach her for expressing herself, never chastise her with a harsh look or a curt reply. The well would never rebuke her; it would simply lay there, and, try as she might to convince it otherwise, it would never respond.

"Why did I have to be born into the Sanka family?!" As ever, there was only silence. As ever, the well never deigned to answer her questions. It was always like this. Every night she screamed at it, shrieking the dfienace she would never show to her father. "I want to go out like everyone else, but just because I'm the daughter of the Sanka family, I'm not allowed to?! I'm a high schooler already for crying out loud!"

She sobbed softly, wishing she could say these things to her father, wishing she could make him understand. But he wouldn't understand. No one understood. No one would ever understand the isolation her father inflicted upon her. Even she herself didn't understand it, sometimes. Going to school-getting out from under his thumb-should have been a relief. Only it wasn't. Her father was every bit as controlling as he was manipulative; his men followed her everywhere when she went out, refusing to allow others to get close to her. She wanted it to stop. But was she really, truly, desperately wanted to stop, was something far worse.

"And I really want you to stop...father...

Her hands gripped the corners of the well, as though by doing so she could somehow overcome her own fear and throw herself in. This part was by far, the most embarassing of all. She'd much rather throw herself into the well than admit it aloud; a fact for which she was thankful no one was near to hear. A lone tear snaked down her chi, plummeting into the murky depths of the well below. Eyes brimming with unshed tears, she shouted down into the well, screaming as loud as her lungs could allow:

"Stop taking nude pictures of me on my birthday as proof of my growth!"

"He does what?!"

Rea froze, her body warring between fight and flight.

Impossibly, the voice had come from within the wel itselfl. From. The. Well. How was that possible? She'd always screamed her feelings into it, always cried out, but never once had it ever deigned to respond. Until today. Was it possible? Could it be possible? Rea suddenly had the incredibly childish notion, that this might be a wishing well...but that, was just that. Childish. Such things were the stuff of fairytales; they existed in anime and manga and such, but never in real life...right?

Right?

Slowly, carefully she dared herself to peer over the brim, to peer into the all-consuming darkness below. She half-suspected to find nothing; it was just a figment of her imagination. Steeling her soul for dissapointment, she hazarded a glance down to the well below.

There, standing at the bottom of the well, and soaked to the bone, was a boy. He wore faded black and orange fatigues dungarees coupled with a vest she didn't quite recognize, but what held her, what ultimately ensnared her, were his eyes. Peeking out beneath a matted mane of sunny blond hair, they stared up at her with something akin to shock and disbelief. She could just barely make out his other features,

"Does your father seriously do that?" The boy shouted up at her, and Rea didn't need her eyes to see, she could hear the dumbfoundment in his words. "He really takes all those pictures of you?

Sanka felt her cheeks burn, but she somehow managed a nod; the sudden, jerky motion sending her raven tresses bobbing up and down. What on earth was she doing? Spilling her heart out to a boy at the bottom of a well? Her father would surely chastise her for this, but...her father wasn't here right now, was he? This thought, unbidden, sent a small thrill down her spine. He couldn't very well stop her from talking to him now, could he? But all the same...who was he?

She blinked down at him with her bright, overlarge eyes, her violet orbs betraying only sorrow and confusion.

"Just...who are you?"

"Naruto!" He called out in return. She watched his brow furrow in disbelief, as though he too, couldn't believe he was having this conversation. "Erm...who are you, if ya don't mind me asking?" It was a simple incongruous question, yet to her it held all the weight in the world. She'd never spoken with a boy before. Her father had made every effort to ensure that she never interacted with the opposite sex, preventing her from so much as saying hello to anyone-student or otherwise-near her age. Well, he couldn't very well prevent this now, could he? She blanched at the nastiness of the thought. Her thought. She shouldn't think such things. Butwas there really any harm in giving him her name?

"Hello?"

Sanka dithered a moment longer before finally giving up the ghost.

"Rea!" She cried out. "My name is Sanka Rea!"

"That's a nice name!" His initial reply nearly shocked her into speechlessness, but the words racing hot on its heels served to draw her back to reality. "Say, there wouldn't happen to be any rope nearby, would there, Rea-chan?" Sanka thought she detected a hiss of pain in his words. "Think I twisted my ankle when I fell down here!"

"How did you fall down there, anyway?" She found herself asking.

"It's...kinda a long story." Was the sheepish reply, reverberating off the walls of the well. "I'll tell you all about it if you get me out of here. But I've been down here for at least a day now so...I'd really appreciate it if you hurried...

Taken aback, Rea flung a glance over her shoulder. There was nothing but a few pebbles and her umbrella, cast aside earlier. Although, it ocurred to her, there might be something inside the old abandoned building? But...it was so dark in there! Inside. She didn't want to go inside. Anything but that. Who knew what manner of awful creatures might be lurking inside, waiting to pounce at the moment she entered? But if she didn't do something, Naruto would never get out of that well...

Sucking in a quick breath, Sanka tore herself away from the well and bolted into the building. Blinking the rain from her eyes she cast about for it and sure enough, there was a tangle of matted cord only a few feet from the entrance. It would have to do. She darted forward and snatched it up, whisking herself back to the well as though the boy-Naruto-might somehow disappear if she left him alone for too long.

"Are you still there?" she called down to him. Even here, in the dark, she could barely make out the matted tangle of his hair.

"What kind of question is that, ya know?!" His words weren't neccesarily harsh; even so she flinched from them.

"You don't have to yell!" She shouted back.

"I found some!" Rea waved it over the well for him to see.

"Great!" Came the reply. "Toss it!"

"I'm throwing it down!" She called, grabbing one end and flinging the rest down into the well. For a moment she feared it wouldn't be long enough to reach Naruto-

"Ouch!"

His yelp of pain shattered that notion.

"Sorry!" she apologized.

"It's alright!" his voice soothed. "Now tie it around your waist!"

Rea did as asked, not even pausing to consider that she might be unable to support his weight. There was nothing else to tie it around, and the well was too large for her to wrap the coil around completely. She tied the knot as tigh as she dare, secretly hoping she was strong enough.

"Alright, I'm coming up!"

Sanka felt a tug upon the rope and braced herself against the well as best she could. Her shoes slipped and slid in the mud, threatened to send her spiraling down into the darkness with him. But Rea held fast, her feet pressing against the well, her leg muscles straining as she struggled to support the blonde's weight. She could hear the boy's grunts as he began to climb; slinging one arm over the other, hand over hand, pulling himself to freedom. She grimaced as the cord bit through her jacket, and into her waist, growing heavier with each passing moment. She prayed the stones would hold; if they gave out she was a goner.

And then it happened.

All the tension in the rope abruptly fell away, leaving Rea straining against nothing. She caught sight of a hand, grasping the outer rim of the well, and then another. A singular grunt breached the night sky as Naruto dragged himself out of the well...and subsuquently toppled forward. Rea, given no time to react to this, was laid flat on her back, her body pinned to the earth by the weight of his battered body.

Close.

This was Rea's only thought as he hung over her, his breath warm on her face, blue eyes wide with shock and surprise. His arms were flung to either side, all that prevented him from dropping his full weight upon her. Kami! She could feel his hips pressed against hers through the coat. He blinked at her, and the slow flushing of her face was like a growing forest fire, spreading to every inch of her body. Her hair lay splayed out beneath her; a raven curtain in the mud. Sanka wanted to say something-anything-but found herself strangely spellbound as she peered into his bright, baby blue eyes.

Too close!

She'd never been this close to a boy before. Had her father seen this, he would've been livid with rage. But her father was not here and thus he did not see the flush flaring across his daughter's face, did not see her squirm beneath the body of a boy he surely would've hated on sight. He would've branded him a delinquent: with his bright blue eyes, blond hair, and these strange whisker marks on his face and those lips; the latter looming so perilously close...

And then it was over.

Naruto rolled off of her with a slight wince, touching a hand to his left ankle. Rea abruptly remembered his injury. He stood upright, albeit with a wince, and the very first thing he did upon finding his footing was to fling his head back and laugh. It was a delightful, enchanting sound; filled with so much mirth Rea couldn't help but smile as well.

"Oooh, you have no idea how good it feels to be out of there!" he stretched both arms with a groan of exultation, "Seriously, I'm starving!" He turned to take her in again with his earnest gaze, as though she were somehow secreting a sandwhich within her crimson coat. "I know this is a bit much to ask but you got anything to eat? I swear I could eat ten bowls of ramen right now!" A wry grin tugged at his lips, drawing them into a foxy grin.

I can't believe he's hungry after that, Rea gawked. Though he favored his right leg, Naruto seemed no worse for the wear, despite having spent a day without food or water. That he still had such an abundance of energy was a wonder at all.

She stared at him for what felt like an eternity; uncertain, uneasy, unsure.

"I'm sorry." she managed at last. "I don't have anything to eat." For a moment she thought Naruto might collapse. But he surprised her yet again.

"Allow me to reintroduce myself." The boy grinned, offering her his hand. "Name's Naruto. Uzumaki Naruto. Nice ta meetcha, Rea-chan!"

Slowly, tentatively, Sanka accepted his hand. Idly, she marvelled at how her small fingers meshed with his; his hands were rough and calloused, evidenced of someone who worked for a living. He would be around her age, she supposed, taking him in at a glance, blushing. Perhaps he was a student? But she'd never seen him before. Surely he must live around here somewhere, she mused thoughtfully. Else he wouldn't have fallen into the well in the first place.

"Phew!" Heaving a sigh he all but collapsed beside her, flopping onto rain-soaked grass. "Now that we've goten introductions out of the way, I really am starving...

"Are you from around here?" She asked, taking a seat beside him.

"You might say that." Naruto chortled softly. "So I take it you come here often, then?" He indicated her well with a hand. Rea flushed beneath his words. In her haste to free him she'd forgotten all about her earlier cries. Kami! He hadn't heard all that, had he? Squirming beneath those baby blue eyes, she fought to find the words

"W-What makes you say that?"

"I heard every word, you know." Naruto pointed out. "There's no use in denying it."

In that instant, Rea wanted nothing more than to die. Barring that she wanted to throw Naruto back into the well, to pretend she'd never found him there to begin with. But, she couldn't bring herself to do either and so she sat there, curling her knees into her chest, burying her head between them, praying no one could see the tears in her eyes. The storm had begun to pass them by; there could be no mistaking that the sorrow was her own.

"Please don't tell anyone." She whispered.

"Why the hell would I do that?"

Rea's head snapped up, whipping back and forth like a puppet, severed from its strings. Unshed tears dangled from her eyes like early morning dew, dangling on a spider's thread, refusing to fall.

"What?"

Naruto looked at her for a long, pointed instant.

"I said, why the hell would I do that?" he repeated. "Your dad sounds like a real creep. I mean, seriously, why would I want to tell anyone that? It'd only embarass you."

"This coming from someone who falla down wells often, huh?"

"Oi!" Naruto blustered in surprise. "Not that often-did I say something funny?"

Rea was giggling now. She couldn't help herself. There was just something indefatigably good about about this boy; he came as a welcome relief, to all the shame and the lies and the pain she'd suffered. Pure. That was the word she was looking for. A warm fuzziness began to spread outward from the center of her chest. She rather liked this Naruto. He made her laugh smile and cry, all at once. She wanted to stay here with him, if only for a little longer.

Just...a little longer...

Only then did Sanka Rea realize she still had yet to release Naruto's hand. She blinked her surprise, eyes fluttering open and shut with all the rapidity of a hummingbird's wingspan. How long had she been holding his hand? She vaguely recalled taking it earlier when offered, but she couldn't remember ever releasing it. Oddly enough, Naruto didn't seem to mind.

"Hey, look." He murmurred, pointing with his free hand. "Moon's coming out."

Rea raised her gaze; sure enough, the clouds were beginning to part; yielding, before the light of the full moon. The rain was gone and with it, her sorrows. Sanka stole a glance at the boy sitting beside her; completely calm, despite the harrowing and almost deadly experience he'd been through. He still had the strength to smile; to laugh and live on. Sanka envied him that.

She dared to squeeze his fingers.

He smiled then, and for the first time, Sanka Rea felt her heart burst into fire. A great, all encompassing flame, burning away alll her sadness and sorrow, scouring every inch of her clean. It was so much better than the rain she thought. But this didn't make any sense. She couldn't possibly be falling for this boy within mere minutes of meeting him...

...could she?

Sanka shook her head, dismissing such thoughts. As much as the notion galled her at present, she had to go home. Soon. If her Otou-sama were to see here like this...he'd be furious. He was always furious. Always so controlling. Suffocating. It must have shown on her face; because Naruto chose that moment to speak.

"You...really don't like your pops, do ya?"

"Of course I do!" Sanka stuttered. "It's just...

"Just?"

"I just...don't enjoy the way he treats me sometimes."

"Then why don't you run away?"

"Nani?"

"Run away." Naruto released her hand, folded both arms behind his head, laid himself down upon the damp grasses. "Leave home. If you hate it that much, should you even bother to stay?"

Sanka stifled her reply, suddenly unsure.

Run away.

The notion of leaving her home of actually abandoning her family...it had never ocurred to her. Until now. She'd thought she would have to bear with her own sorrows...she'd never once thought of actually leaving them behind. But where would/could she go? Her father was a powerful man, capable of influencing many, ruining lives whenever he chose. She couldn't just walk away from him without expecting some sort of retaliation.

"Run away...

"Well," Naruto picked himself up off the grass, "Its not like I'm telling you what to do, or anything. That's your decision." The words hung between them as he reached down for her, clasping her wrist and pulling Rea to her feet. "Me? I'm gonna go get something to eat. I'd ask ya ta join me but I'm guessing you've got to get back to your old man, huh?"

Rea nodded reluctantly. Right now, she wanted more than anything to linger with this boy; to learn more about him and just where he was from. But to stay meant certain catastrophe; her father would doubtlessly be wondering where she was, not to mention where she had gone, if she stayed much longer.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then." Naruto waved. "This'll be our little secret, neh, Rea-chan?"He extended his pinky finger with a grin and this time, Rea recognized the gesture. She hooked her pinky finger in his, smiling softly to herself. He was so strange, this Uzumaki Naruto. Someone who fell down wells on a daily basis and made pinky promises.

"Our secret...

"Yup." Naruto said with a grin, the gesture making him appear oddly fox-like. "Just between the two of us." He unhooked his hand with a flourish and turned to leave. "See ya after school-

"Wait!"

Her words rooted him.

Naruto stopped in his tracks, his face slowly appearing over his shoulder as he curiously regarded her. A look of confusion an irritation crossed his single eye as it regarded the recovering girl behind him.

"Hmm?"

"I go to an all girls school." Sanka said, as though this explained everything.

"So?" Naruto blinked. "Mine's just across the way."

"But if my father sees you-

Naruto grinned; it was a bright smile, with just a hint of danger.

"Your pops ain't the only one with connections, Rea-chan." Without another word he turned away, whistling tunelessly to himself. Rea didn't dare follow. Just who was this Uzumaki Naruto? Honestly, she didn't know whether to call him courageous or brainless. Most men and women would flinch at the mere mention of her father, Dan'ichiro. Naruto hadn't even batted so much as an eyelash.

"Tomorrow!" he shouted at her. "It's a promise!"

Rea watched him round the bend and circle out of sight, but not before waving one last time. And then he was gone, leaving her with her thoughts.

"Maybe...maybe he's right...

That was the first day Rea truly thought of defying her father. Her beloved Otou-sama thought he knew what was best for her. He didn't. She wanted her freedom. She wanted the right to choose her life, her destiny, her future. And Rea was determined she would have that right. The right to be free...

...no matter what.

A/N: TA-DA! Uzumaki Naruto makes his debut in his usual loud and boisterous fashion! I'll leave it to you, dearest reader(s), to decide whether he's from his universe, or simply exists in Sanka's world. Either option promises to be amusing as it is hilarious! And if one is wondering for something...I kinda doubt Rea will become a zombie in this one. Although...that would be amusing, last time I checked Naruto isn't really into zombies

...Review! Unless you want to be devoured by flesh-eating zombies! Oh...wait. This story might eventually have those (gulps nervously) A-Anyway..., enjoy the preview.

...you said what?"

Naruto puffed out his cheeks in aggravation.

"I called your pops a cheeky dickwaffle, that's what! Because he is!" He grinned an earsplitting grin, as though he could barely contain the mirth lurking beyond it. "You should've seen the look on his face, Rea-chan! It was priceless!"

"B-But...

The blond boy blinked as her, unable to comprehend her confusion. And how could he? No one she'd known-certainly not a boy!-had ever dared to insult her Otou-sama face to face.

"Are you afraid he'll try to do something?"

No, that wasn't it at all. Rea was frightened, true, but not because her father might take action, rather; because he would take action. But Nauto didn't seem to care. Not in the slightest, as she watched him smack his fist into an open palm.

"That settles it! I'm going to kick his ass!"

Hope you enjoyed it!

R&R! =D