"So," an elderly woman wearing her Sunday's best looked at the paintings, "this is known as The Fox's Flame?"
Naruto nodded, he rubbed the back of his head, "I painted it using ink and coloring. It was meant to be influenced by Mistralian Techniques of one stroke painting."
"I can see that parts of the hair here, the most detailed parts, were done in one very slow stroke. You must've dipped the brushes to where only the strands you needed had painted. The hair is very detailed, very beautiful, and the proportions are on point." Mirabella hummed and looked at the red-haired woman as she held a flame in her hand, "can you tell me the story behind it?"
"My mother, she's the inspiration for the Fox Faunus in the picture. She had a semblance, though she never really used it much, it looked like a flame, but it made plants around the house grow." Naruto chuckled a little bit as he pointed at the various flora he colored in, "her favorite flower is at her feet, Sunflowers."
"Ah, I see, very beautiful. It is inspiring to see the technique, that takes so long to master properly, being used expertly by such a young man. For this painting, I have to, unfortunately, say, that I cannot hope to buy from you." Mirabella stated as she crossed off the painting on her notepad.
Naruto looked at her, "why not?"
"It is a painting of your mother my child, you should hang it up by her urn rather than sell it," Mirabella says to the young man, she moved over to the next one.
She looked at it, quite perplexed at the location, it had a forest overlooking a desert, with a cherry blossom tree on a hillside. She nodded, it was quite beautiful, an oil painting. She smiled, feeling of the picture, finding several layers of the paint to help make shading look more realistic.
"This is one is perplexing, the desert reminds me of Vacuo, but the flora seems to be of Mistralian origin. Just like the picture of your mother, I find this to be engorged with a story, but this is one I can buy. So, which country is this set in?" She inquired, rather impressed at the workmanship.
Naruto found himself smiling a little bit, a rare thing, "Menagerie."
"Is Menagerie truly this beautiful," Mirabella rubbed her chin a little bit, "given the critters that live there."
The smile faded from Naruto, "and what do you mean by critters?"
"Oh, heavens, I didn't mean it in the racial slang. I'm talking about the fauna that lives there, with the dangers, it is hard to believe that such beauty can exist there." She looked at Naruto as she rubs the back of her head, "I do apologize if you took the meaning the wrong way."
"No, no, you're fine." Naruto waived the concern as he took a moment to smile once more, "so…how much are you willing to offer me?"
"Hmm, well, giving the quality it is superb. However, as you are to be considered a freelancer and rather unknown. I'll, give or take, three thousand liens." The woman got her checkbook, "and from I understand that is fair."
Naruto nods and agreed with her while rubbing the back of his head, "yeah, sure, sounds fair.
She signed the check, handing it to him, he took it and smiled. She then went to the last painting, looking at it, she smirked as she already knows what it was. "Ah, Kitsune, the holy angels of the field."
"My mom talked about them a lot, saying that our family symbol is of a Nine-Tailed Fox because one supposedly saved my great-great-great grandmother. But, you know, things were more mystical back in the days before people made wonderous machines." Naruto spoke as he worded exactly what his mother had told him.
She smiled, "you're a very smart young man. This painting can be top dollar to a third party. So, I'll go ahead and give three thousand as a down payment for it. If I sell it for more than six thousand, I'll happily give half the proceeds to you."
He held out his hand while speaking, "fair enough to me."
She took it, shaking it, "I look forward to seeing more of your work next time."
"Give me about a month or so, I'm getting ready to graduate Signal and head into Beacon." Naruto told her as he stretched, "and I am going to get slammed with work from then on."
"Indeed, well, goodbye Mr. Namikaze. I shall send my men in to collect the two paintings. I'll be sure to put in a good word for you if you wish to give me your scroll number, I'll even hand out contact info to patrons." She insisted as she flipped her notepad, "some of my clients are collectors of fine art and are high profile."
"Hmm, like who?" Naruto inquired, tempted to know who'd would work with her.
"Gale Akahana, you know her as the frontwoman of the band Iris Connection. I also have a contact from Atlas, a Weiss Schnee and she pays good money too, then there's Iskandar Azula frontman of…" She went to talk but stopped when she heard Naruto suddenly squeal.
"Thee Iskandar, as in Bloody-Zoo Iskandar?!" Naruto's eyes lit up with stars.
She nodded, watching him smile brightly, "my oh my, someone must be a fan."
"I am, I got some of their merch, along with Wari Demons. They're supposed to be in town next weekend, and I am so stoked!" Naruto then rubbed the back of his head while blushing, 'so-sorry, just really excited."
Mirabella laughed, patting his shoulder, "ah young man, you're fine."
"But," she then made her way toward the door, "I do know who to contact first."
"R-really, c-cool!" Naruto stutters as he had a bright smile.
The door opened as she neared it, two burly men came into Naruto's apartment, they took the two pictures into their arms as they walked toward the door. Mirabella smiled, she nodded her head before closing his door.
The blonde laughed, it grew to be louder as he fell back, "yes!"
Naruto looked at the check in his hands, jumping up and down while fist-pumping, "I got a dealer, Dattebayo!"
He then heard someone pounding at his door, "you damned Faunus brat, keep it down!"
The blonde pouted and crossed his arms when he heard a door slam close no sooner than a man came out yelling at his. He huffed, glaring at his door before turning back to his paycheck. Three thousand liens took care of his food expenses this entire month and gave him the ability to afford better food than the T.V dinners he ate.
"Pfft," Naruto dismissed the man's yelling. "Friendly neighbor my ass…"
The blonde yawns, intent to take a nap before going to ATM later on to deposit the check. Walking into his room, clothes strewn about on the floor. The Fox Faunus just removes his shirt and pants, wearing only his froggy underwear. On the wall, by the mirror, hanging on it was old sepia photographs showing him and his mother playing in the park.
He was but a two-year-old at the time, the pictures were taken by his father. Wherever that bastard was Naruto hoped he choked, he will miss out on the days Naruto finally graduates and finally takes his first steps into manhood.
On his back, just near his tailbone was a scar. It was aged, from a time he was a child and had an accident. More specifically, he fell down a staircase after somehow getting out his crib and cut his lower back open nearly broke his tailbone.
Taking look at himself in the mirror, Naruto flexes, revealing toned muscles underneath very little baby fat. He was lean, not built like one of those "gods" with all the bulging muscles from bodybuilders.
Though Naruto would be lying if he said he wasn't jealous out how girls swooned over them. He wasn't looking to date but being attractive wasn't exactly so bad either. Staring at himself in the mirror, taking a moment to observe the whisker marks on his face.
Dismissing his thoughts, Naruto just yawns and stretches before climbing into his bed. Covering himself up in the quilt, it was cool outside, but not cold enough to the turn the heat up. He'd wake up in a few hours, make his way over to the bank's ATM and then go grocery shopping.
Naruto was walking the streets of Vale, intent to visit his bank's ATM to deposit the checks. He whistled the tune to the newest Bloody-Zoo song and hummed at the lower notes. He moved his feet, slightly dancing to the music as he bopped his head.
The blonde fox Faunus was crossing the street at a red light, only to hear the screeching of tires, he turned around and barely jumped over a car. He watched as the vehicle was being followed by several police cars, with one stopping.
"Hey, you okay?!" The officer shouted out of the window.
"Y-yeah, I'm good, need help?" Naruto inquired as he heard the cops giving chase.
"No, just stay out of the area!" The officer ordered Naruto before speeding off.
The blonde rolled his ocean blue eyes as he walked toward the ATM, he took a deep breath as he used his code and entered the pin with it. He saw the screen flash, asking him to scan his scroll, he got his scroll out of his pocket and scanned it.
Naruto hummed as it switched to a Wari Demon song, he bopped his head up and down to the beat, scan the checks over the scanner when prompted. He smiled as he saw the funds immediately get put into his account.
He had an art dealer one time skirt him on a deal…he had been so pissed off that he gave up painting for a few weeks. Just staring at blank canvases, wondering if it was even worth it to continue trying any more.
Naruto took a deep breath, his ears suddenly straight up upon hearing a puddle splash behind him. The blonde barely had time to react as a man tried to stick a gun in his face, the Faunus knocked the gun away just as the man squeezes the trigger, making the fox ears that Naruto head ring.
The man yells as he tried to move and shoot Naruto, it was obviously a junky by the crazed look in his eyes. They were also dilated, glazed over, meaning that the man was currently high as a kite right now.
Backstepping, Naruto managed to bring his leg up to kick the man's gun out of his hand and into the air. Using his speed, enhanced by his aura, Naruto pummeled the man in the face with several jabs before hooking right foot under the man's foreleg and tripping him. The blonde followed up by slamming his shoulder into the man as he fell to the ground. Catching the gun as it fell back down, Naruto used his knee to hold the man down while pointing the gun in the man's face. He chambered a round in it, showing the guy he was serious about defending himself.
He looked right into the man's eyes, speaking with a slight hiss in his voice, "stay down."
His heart was pounding, he could hear the blood rushing in all of his ears, it took everything Naruto had to keep a level head. The teen got his scroll out with one hand, pressing the emergency button on it while holding the gun to the junkie's face.
The junkie yells, "get the fuck off me, Faunus bastard!"
Naruto kept pressing his knee into the man, holding the gun at him.
"Do it…squeeze the trigger…" he heard a voice inside of his head, "go on…he tried to kill you. He's fair game, C'mon, you'll have to do it eventually, shoot him…shoot…him."
Gritting his teeth, growling Naruto's eyes changed from blue to red rapidly, like a pulse, he looked right into the man's eyes.
As much as he hated Atlas Academy, they did instill some leadership skills into him, but he had always been the point man of any group project. Taking the first lead, taking first hits, taking the first steps forward. He had no fear, save the fear of himself, and that helps save himself from himself.
It also taught him discipline, trigger discipline since he had to train with firearms. Naruto held the man down, slowly letting off the trigger. He heard sirens coming, taking a deep breath the blonde just removed the gun's clip, taking it apart before tossing the parts into a pile near the parking lot they were in.
"What the hell man, get off me!" The junkie continues to scream.
"Shut your mouth," Naruto glares right into the man's eyes as he speaks, "or I'll bust your teeth out, Dattebayo."
Some people were just weaker than others. Junkies like this man probably had a hard life and fell into the drugs, but it still didn't give him leniency. The blonde heard the sirens getting closer, watching the junkie panic.
Naruto watches as an LEO car finally pulled up, two officers got out, "hands!"
Naruto raises his hands up, "this guy tried to attack me, some frigging junkie!"
"Alright kid, go over there with officer Oakwood, please." Naruto nodded, going over toward where the Faunus officer was.
Oakwood was a tall Faunus man, he was an ox Faunus, having two large horns on his head, just above his ears. He watches as the Fox Faunus walks over to him, rain began to drop in the area as Naruto watches the human officer cuff the junkie when he tried to run.
"You alright there, son?" The officer inquired, "looks like you kicked that guy's ass."
"I'm a student from Signal, I learned how to fight." Naruto answered as he rubbed his cheek, "damn it…"
"Yeah, looks like a round scratched your face there. Don't worry, a band-aid and some sab will do you some good. Good takedown, did he have a weapon?" Oakwood inquires as he got out his notepad.
Naruto nods, "yeah, I disassembled right next to your guy right there. I had pinned to the ground with it until you arrived and figured I'd break it down so he couldn't just grab it from me and use it."
"Very clever," the officer looks at his partner. "Yo, Cleave, pretty much open and shut."
"Yeah, I got the bastard, I see the gun parts right there. Guy has a broken jaw," Cleave laughs as he looked at Naruto. "Got one hell of a right hook don't ya?"
"So, I've been told," Naruto admits while rubbing the back of his head. "Do you need anything from me…officer Oakwood?"
"Ah, yes actually, I need your full name along with your residence. We'll be checking the footage, so we can confirm your story, worst-case scenario you'll just get a call from us to come down to the station to give an official report." Oakwood got his notepad ready, shielding from the rain with his head.
"Name?" Oakwood inquires.
"Naruto Namikaze, I live in Blackwood, Clarity Apartments, apartment four-twenty." Naruto tells him, "that it?"
"Yep." Oakwood nods toward Cleave, who drags the junkie toward the car.
The blonde watches the man walk away, "take care of yourself Mr. Namikaze."
"Will do officer," Naruto checks his scroll to make sure the check went in, it had but it was still pending on deposit.
A few days went by since he had finally gotten money into his account, he was walking toward his dance class for the evening. He was learning several dances, waltz and foxtrot, tango, and even modern dancing.
He personally loved the tango, since it was high energy and still uninformed enough to have style.
Wearing a nice set of clothes than he usually wore, Naruto walked inside of the studio, his grey tuxedo with a red undershirt, he wore a pair of black pants. The blonde dressed for the day's musical choice of tango.
Some of the men there wore similar suits, some of them just came in casual clothing. The blonde, however, for all intents and purposes, loved to dress and dance in the class. He always dressed in nicer clothing for these types of things.
Naruto looked at some of the women and girls there, all of them his age or above, there was one elderly woman there with her husband. Many of the women wore very conservative dresses, but a couple wore a very stylish one piece with the right side of the skirt cropped up to reveal some leg.
The instructor for the day, a young woman that was in her late twenties, walked in with her dress. It was a white show dress, she had a rose in her blue hair as she took a deep breath. She was small, petite, for her age, she actually stood shorter than Naruto.
She wore her hair in a ponytail and had a silver talisman on her neck.
"Welcome everyone~" She cheerful sang out as she walked in step to the music.
"Welcome to the Tango Class. I am Paloma Estilo, you're head instructor for the next couple of hours." She tells them while looking at the students, "and I see we have a few returning students."
The woman snapped her fingers, "my friends, partner up with a lovely lady…or man~"
Naruto saw two girls pair up, and even a couple of guys. He slightly smiled, he then watched as others paired up and waited until he could see anyone remaining. However, this time, the class was perfectly even saved for himself.
The instructor chuckled, walking over toward Naruto, "sir…may we?"
Naruto smiled, "sure thing, Ms. Estilo."
Naruto took her hand, she led him to the front of the class, "now ladies and gentlemen. All you have to do is get into the beat of the music."
"Allow me to show you with this young man," she grabbed Naruto's hands while placing one down to the side, "walk with me."
"See how I walk with my young friend here ladies and gentlemen, he leads me, let the dominant partner lead and you follow suit." She instructed, watching as the others did so, she nodded and smiled as felt Naruto as he raises his hand up.
"Now, the dominant partner, will raise their hands up and twirl their other half!" She loudly says with a wide smile on her face as Naruto twirled her.
She then reversed the twirl, coming back into his arms, "and you shall always return to your partner afterward."
"This is basic," she stated as she and Naruto began to walk again, with her secretly leading up until the dominant must lead.
She watched the class do this a few times before she turned toward Naruto, smiling and then nodding as he began to take charge and lead. She and he got into the beat of the music, and she looked at her students, all the while she kept Naruto close to her.
"Now the tango, it is an energetic dance and passion will run high during it." She suddenly jerked Naruto's up, "and in doing so somethings will be said!"
She walked away but stilled held Naruto right hand, he faced away from her, "and its up to the dominant partner to bring the other half back under his wing."
Naruto brought her back with a twirl, she leaned back, charging the atmosphere with passion as she looked up at the teen. She was showing the flair of the dance but made sure to keep it strictly as undercharged sexually as possible.
"Your love is my love, dance with me, oh dance with me~" She sang out to the music and grabbed his hands as they backed away and walked toward each other to the beat.
Shaking their hips as they did.
The class followed suit, with Naruto chuckling slightly, "I think I've gotten much better."
"You have," Paloma agreed as she was twirled, "and I can see a lighter side of you since you been coming here."
Naruto brought her close, not too close, "I enjoy dancing. It releases negative emotions and allows me to practice combat."
"Ooh~" Paloma whistled as she walked backward and made Naruto follow her, "well, young warrior I hope you still practice after you go to Beacon~"
"Hehe," Naruto chuckled as they twirled each other, "well thank you."
"So," she speaks with a smile, "a young man must have a broken heart or two?"
"Nah, not my style." Naruto replies as he twirled her, "what's playing right now?"
"Adam Sola, The Dance of The Dragon Prince." She told him and then pushed him away, "a very easy song to get into."
"I can see why," Naruto stated as he moved his hips, turning sideways toward her as he approached.
"Anyway, I had a favor to ask, since you been coming here several months. I am going to go around after class today, asking students if they'd like to volunteer in the homeless shelter in a couple weeks." She looked right into his eyes, "are you interested?"
Naruto nodded, "I'd love to Ms. Estilo!"
"Then you're signed on, oops, you're supposed to dip me on this part." She smiled as she was dipped, with her legs sliding back on the ground before he lifted her back up.
Both of them laughed a little, continuing through the dance lessons.
Naruto walked back into his apartment, he felt energized as he quickly gathered his painting materials. He linked his scroll to a speaker set, it began to play the song he heard the school. He looked at the easel and licked the tip of pencil he had in his hand.
He began to draw the outline of his painting, creating a vibrant figure from within his head. It was going to be one of those paintings he'd work all weekend on, and he'd enjoy it with great fervor!
Losing himself into the image, the music, he continued to draw. Coming toward the end of his outline of the basic character structure. Since he was supposed to be making a dancing prince, he made the outline figure more lifelike and in motion.
The figure had one of his hands held up, with another hand tuck near his stomach, mid-turn.
He quickly began to draw, more and more, now adding in the basic features. Time began to pass quickly, night falling even quicker, it was one in the morning as he finished the drawing of the painting. He looked back at it, taking in what he accomplished in the last five hours.
He always had a habit of losing himself in art.
By the time he came out of his trance the songs had cycled over in his playlist, it was currently on some chill music, an artist by name of Killer Bee. The blonde hummed, nodding and then yawning as he stretched.
He walked toward the couch, deciding that he'd just crash there for the night. He plopped down, turning some videos on his scroll. Gaming channels from around Vale, and others. Deathlypie23, Minichad, and even Hoodinigaming.
The young man wasn't into video games, he just loved to see the comedy sketches and the stuff they did with basic games. Especially Minichad, he had the most creative content and didn't stick to just one series of things to get his stuff out.
That and The Gaminglime, now that Valetuber knew how to create some funny videos.
Sunday came quickly, Naruto unlocked his apartment door and entered with a handful of groceries. He set the groceries on his kitchen counter, looking at his scroll as he began to play the voice recording from Mr. Xiao-Long's classes.
He took a deep breath as he got out a pot, filling it with water to boil, he got his noodles out and added it to the water before it boiled. Quickly, he began to reach and began to chop various peppers and vegetables he got out from the bags.
When he finished doing that, he put the contents in a cup before adding it into the pot, he then opened up the oven and pulled out a pan. He got the chicken out of its packaging, quickly setting the oven to where it would bake the bird.
His test was next Wednesday, so he had to ready up for it, and if he aced it he would end up receiving tickets. The blonde hummed as he kicked off his shoes and relaxed with a contented sigh. He began to hear the water boil, which meant he needed the oven to quickly heat up.
Upon hearing the beeping, he sent the tray of chicken inside, it was a basic dish, Chicken Miso Ramen. The young man took the time to also lean against the counter, grabbing a small glass bottle of soda, he popped the top off the orangey flavored pop.
He chugged it down, listening to Taiyang give the lesson's from over the week.
Hearing his oven beep again, he opened it up, it had been a few minutes since he put the chicken in there and saw the brown texture of the now baked chicken. Smiling, he grabbed a mitten, reaching into the stove and getting the chicken out.
He quickly sat it on the side, on a counter, and moved the boiling pot off the burner it was on. Turning the stove off in its entirety, Naruto took a large bowl and poured the soup contents into it. He then grabbed a few pieces of chicken, placing it in the bowl.
Having walked toward a small table, Naruto pulled up a seat and listened to the sound of Mr. Xiao-Longs voice as he ate his meal.
Staring at a picture of his mother he had set up in a chair, he looked at it and chuckled slightly, "I swear when I bring a girl here one day…she'll think I'm a weirdo…but…"
"I," he stopped eating and looked at her, "feel as though I can talk to you like this."
"I have my highs and lows mom, I am high on life right now, no doubt sooner or later I'll hit another low. Each time I wake up, I struggle, because you aren't there…and no one is…" Naruto teared up slightly as he looked at her picture.
Some slipped down his face, "but I promised you that I'd try to live. On my lowest days mom, I always feel something warm hold me, is it you? I don't know, I find it hard to believe in God or Gods, or whatever is out there."
"But," Naruto then smiled sadly at the picture, "I am trying to not pick up another knife…tie another noose or look at another pistol again."
"It is hard talking like this, I'm too scared to go to a psych, scared to get help from people I don't know." Naruto spoke from his heart, "I just…don't trust people."
"Ilia," he remembered his best friend, "I wonder if you're looking over her as well…she's probably doing okay…I guess."
"Flynt and Katt don't text me anymore, they haven't texted me in months…I guess that friendship was just…meh." Naruto then laughed a little bit, "I'm wanting to just ramble on about things…clear my chest."
Naruto then smiled brightly, "but I do all of this for myself, and to carry on…like you wanted me too."
Tears fell from his face, he then wiped away as he looked at his mom. Closing his eyes as he smiled, imagining her sitting in front of him.
"I love you."