A/N: Well hello there! For quite some time my hands were itching to write something and since I like spending some time reading fanfictions every other day, why not write one myself? It's like killing two birds with one stone! Wait a second...that's horrible! Hmm, anyway let's try being original "This is my first fanfiction and English is far from being my first language so, nice people out there show some indulgence and if you don't like, don't read. Either way help is always appreciated, so reviews and constructive criticism are accepted any day, emphasis on constructive hm."
Disclaimer: I do not own anything of the Naruto franchise. This is a fanfiction following Masashi Kishimoto's Naruto characters in a modern setting. This is in no way about modern ninjas, this story borrows "created" fictive persons along with their specific personalities. As this is a fanfiction I will be changing them here and there as it depicts them in a different setting and circumstances. Does this mean that I am too lazy to create my own characters? Well, maybe yes, but that is overruled by the fact that I actually like the Naruto "cast".
This is an 'alternative universe' sort of fanfiction and the plot is mine, mine, mine =) Sorry that this is note…kind of huge, but I'd like to mention that at first it will be quite slow-paced since I want to transpose Naruto's world into a seemingly realistic modern world and reintroduce the characters as I see them for this story.
Did I mention I was sorry? =]
Chapter 1: Every story needs a prologue as much as a friendship, an introduction
The city was buzzing with people, turning left or right, lazily strolling, rushing past each other without a single glance. Some were shuffling their feet leisurely, some imitating power walking professionals. And then, if fixing ones gaze on one single point on a lively street for a handful of hours, a peculiar person could be seen. One of those persons was of seemingly average appearance but yet capable of catching inadvertent eyes, walking contently and confidently amidst the crowd. It was a young woman smiling at the nameless people apologizing for brushing her shoulders unintentionally and smiling back.
She had a thick manila folder tucked under her left arm, her right hand occupied by her smartphone guiding her to her next target. Her house hunt seemed to be far more interesting that she thought the week before. Waiting patiently for the flow of the river of cars to decrease she observed with her hazel eyes the building ahead of her. If she remembered correctly, on the third floor of the six-story ancient-looking house was the apartment where a large bedroom with a walk-in closet and its own bathroom was being rented. She wasn't too keen on the fact that she would potentially live with a complete stranger even if it was ostensibly an amiable woman that she had called days prior as to set an appointment to see the offered room. Nonetheless the appointment was set so that this flat was the last of those she visited. It was set in a moderately calm neighborhood considering the fact that it was close to the business and cultural districts of Konoha.
She had moved to this town because of the job she was offered at Konoha Medical Center. She had studied in Tokyo and had spent her internship in one of its hospitals. Once she was presented with the prospect of moving to a small, -opposed to the megalopolis that was the capital-, town in the middle of the country she packed her things, called her parents, bid her farewells to her friends and set off to the affectively named 'Land of Fire'. The city was considered as the main one of the isle it was situated on. Much as the over main islands of Japan, namely Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu, the Isle offered the usual green lands, old mountains, and little space. It was unofficially divided into several territories.
Snapping out of her daze she crossed the street along with a couple of people and stopped once again, this time directly in front of the entrance of the building. Interestingly enough it had its own lobby even if quite modest.
Through the old-fashioned revolving door she could see a man sitting at the reception like desk. Taking a deep breath she let herself in, and stood politely in front of the said man who, at closer inspection, was covered in strange scars one of which was a cross right in the middle of his chin. A patch of dark brown and greying hair could be seen underneath his black cap and one of his arms seemed to be prosthetic. He was speaking boringly with someone on the phone and even thought it was clear that he had noted her presence, he didn't seem to want to finish his interesting conversation to help her instead. Not to be deterred she busied herself with letting her long deep brown hair, with flickers of caramel glow, out of her no longer neat bun. Tying it again with practiced ease and smiled in challenge.
As if yielding the man whose name was Danzo, as embroidered in neat white bold letters on his dark blue long-sleeved sweater, with a swift dismissal hang up the phone and in the same disinterested tone asked her.
'How can I help you in this fine chilling day of November?'
'I am looking for Yamanaka Ino, I was to meet with her at six o'clock, but since I'm a little bit early I was wondering if she was here.' she said ending her little speech with a courteous smile.
'An hour.' He droned dispassionately.
'I beg your pardon?' she asked looking quizzically at the man behind the reception desk.
'You are an hour early. She is actually home. Third floor, apartment thirty-ten. Elevator is being out of work for the week. Have a nice day.'
Nodding her head in understanding her eyes a little wider than usual she thanked the man and walked calmly to the door leading to the stairs. The three flights of stairs passed in a blink as she went up with a barely perceived skip in her steps. Standing in the hallway studded with a handful of doors she searched for the right one. 'Ok, thirty-ten, thirty-ten…' a clatter followed by a loud hiss resounded at her right. Four letters glistened in the light flowing through the sole window at the opposite side of the elevator, 3-0-1-0. And, bingo, ladies. She hesitated a moment, not wanting to disturb the woman on the over side of the door too much. Throwing her indecisions out the only window of the story she pressed the golden button residing contently at her eye level, on the right side of the door.
The ringing was followed by a second clatter, the sound of the door unlocking right behind.
'Ah, I hope I didn't disturb you too much but I am Tenten. I am sorry to come this early but the visit to the previous house didn't last long and I was really looking forward to seeing this room you are offering and…did I mention I was sorry?' the brunet said in a single breath, ending her little tirade with a sheepish smile.
'Right, right, Tenten. Don't you worry, come in. I'm Ino, I just hope you don't mind a little mess, I was testing a new recipe. Or at least, trying to.' answered the tall blond. She had her golden hair in a high ponytail, long strands clipped around her face delicately. Her slim form was partially hidden by an apron with a printed male body-builder upper body and pink tutu. Her light azure eyes, catching the other girl's amused smile, crinkled as her blushing face morphed in a smile. 'Here, let me take your coat, please come this way. Now let's embark on the Grand Tour of Ino's Palace!'
Tenten's smile widened a little more as she followed the kind and lively blond out of the hall after taking off her warm boots covered in a thin layer of snow. The apartment seemed quite big, as expected. The hallway led to the living room with large window, a soft looking red sofa situated not too far from the middle of the area faced a modestly big television. Right to the left of it, a bookcase filled with various disks and to the right a slightly bigger -this time book-filled- bookcase. She didn't let her gaze settle on the objects filling different shelves as her eyes skipped across the room. Although she was intrigued by the world map stabbed by multiple drawing pins all over it covering a small portion of on wall. Tenten's soft steps carried her to the kitchen joint to the living area where Ino was once again apologizing for the mess. This looks like a fresh battlefield, thought amusingly the young doctor. It was later discovered that the owner of the nice apartment worked in her own flower shop but was also writing occasional articles for the local news-paper, either concerning flowers or fashion. Her home was once occupied by her parents, but they had given it up to her favoring the country-side and nowadays tending to their own flower shop.
The visit was filled with friendly talks going from the November weather to personal facts. Ino showed her around the living area, the messy kitchen, her own bedroom, the main bathroom, the storage-room and the guestroom. The Yamanaka finally stopped in front of a mahogany door, 'This is my former room so I hope you like it, since I loved it for seventeen years of my life.'
'Why, 'loved'? Do you no longer love it?' easily asked Tenten her smile ever-present since the start of the visit.
'Alas, I have to admit that my heart was swayed but the twice-bigger wardrobe of my new room. Oh but can you blame this innocent girl?' answered just as easily the blond florist while pressing her hand to her cheek and dramatically sighing.
Behind the massive door lay a room with bland walls, a queen-sized bed covered in soft mauve-colored sheets, surrounded on either side by bedside tables. Opposite to it, on the right side of the door an old-fashioned mahogany desk stood innocently. A door was situated not too far from it, it led to the adjoin bathroom with a shower-cabin and a lavabo ornate by numerous empty shelves. In the far left corner, could be seen a commode ready to be filled with towels and what not. The walk-in closet was residing right next to the left bedside table, doors wide-open showing the naked rails, shelves and hooks. The window of the bedroom offered a window bench and a generous view of the street. Ino's feet shuffling on the hard-wood floor made Tenten snap out of her observation. Basking the afternoon glow of the sun, she turned to the owner with a soft look. 'I can only manage to say on word. Wow. This is exactly what I was looking for! I've been looking for place like this for a whole week, but I guess I was right by making this my last visit.'
'I'm so glad, it feels kinda empty here you know, and I think I can get used to you waking up at dawn and I could let you handle the horrendously hard part of co-habitation… cooking.' Ino said with a mock-serious look.
The next hour was spent on heartlessly wasted paper for the insurances, the setting of some ground rules such as 'going grocery shopping together', 'stay out of Scarface's way! Scarface? Crazy-old-dog-scary-and-scarcely-(feel the irony)-scarred Danzo rings a bell? Oh …', 'Tenten shall be instated as the official cook of the house indefinitely ('until I learn to cook the great stuff from this cookbook!')', 'going out together every once in a while' and 'scratch that, every weekend!' and so on.
'Now, that it's all settled, why not actually settle?' the blond asked Tenten while pinning the 'Commandments' with a little magnet in a shape of a panda on the fridge. 'I know it can seem rushed and all, but I wouldn't want for you to stay in a hotel while you actually covered the rent part, you know.' Ino looked inquisitively at the softly smiling brunet. Only some mere hours after having met her new flat mate and here she was, talking to her as if they knew each over well. She wasn't socially inept so to say, if her phonebook rivaling yellow-pages, both comfily residing on the journal table, was of any indication. But she knew that their society made it hard to find and make real friends and she had opened-up to Tenten faster than with her actual friends. The young florist didn't know whether it was because the brunet seemed to genuinely love her house and to selflessly accept the hard position of the official cook or the fact that Tenten gave the impression of being exactly what Ino needed at the moment. A good friend who could potentially become a big sister figure; someone she could relate to and to trust, someone she would listen to and comfort, someone to understand her…that is whom Tenten appeared to possibly become.
'That'd be great, but I wouldn't want to inconvenience you or anything, I don't have a lot of things in the hotel but I could call a friend to send me the rest of my stuff some other time since I was told that the elevator was out of work.' the young doctor answered.
'Don't you worry, the day you decide to move your things I could call some friends and take a day off, but now we can pick your things from the hotel. Oh, let's take the Flovan!' exclaimed excitedly the blonde.
'Thank you Ino. Wait a second…Flovan?' the grateful smile on Tenten's face quickly morphed into a confused look.
'Right, right, you'll see, in a week you will freely talk Ino!' the blond said with a sheepish smile. 'Neologisms and nickname-giving are my forte! You see, it's the van I use for deliveries. It's a car that carries flowers around town so…Flo-van!' the exuberant florist exclaimed gleefully, a little twitch of her hands being the only indication of her restraining herself from jumping in a 'ta-da' pose.
'I don't know if I already said it but, I'm never going to be bored with you Ino.' And Tenten knew that it was true. She had, as silly as it sounded a feeling that they would be great friends. Looking around the spacious living-room she thought about was going to happen after she actually settled there, in Kohona. The moment she would put the last of her belongings in its own new place would be the start of a new chapter in Tenten's life. It was as an exciting thought as a strangely frightening one. But she never backed down of anything just because it appeared scary, and at least she had a good home to start with, and actually, what seemed to be, a good friend.