Chapter 2: 'Eyes of the dead'

Naruto's PoV:

Naruto woke up as the alarm set off. He turned around in bed and took a glance at the alarm clock before tiredly clicking the on/off button. It was 6:45. He sat up slowly and got out of bed. The still sleepy Naruto went into the kitchen to have breakfast. As he waited for the ramen to become hot enough his mind wandered off to 3 months ago:

- Naruto-kun, your aunt wants you to listen to us for a minute. We have an announcement to make, said the smiling husband of Minami Tachibana, Satoshi.

- Oh, what's up Satoshi-san?

Naruto had stopped eating and turned to look at the man. Then Minami, Naruto's aunt entered the kitchen.

- Actually, we're planning to move to the village where your mother and of course me too were born. It's called Konoha Village and it's a bit away from here. Satoshi and I wanted to know if you will be okay with it because it would mean that you have to say goodbye to your friends here..

Naruto looked at his aunt in shock.

- Wow, this is sudden. I guess I don't mind though.. I don't have any close friends here anyway. But what about Yuiko, will she be alright? Naruto said, looking a bit worried.

- Well, that's part of the reason we're moving. Your cousin has grown up to be a fine woman, she even found herself a husband and believe me, we're very proud of her as her parents. But we also think that now is a good time to move because Yuiko has become able to take care of herself. I'm sure she won't mind us living a little further away from her and her husband, Satoshi said.

- I suppose you're dying to know why we've come up with this idea all of a sudden and to tell you the truth, I was offered a job as an English teacher in Konoha High School, the school I used to attend! the beaming Minami stated.

- That's great auntie! I get it now, Naruto smirked, seemingly proud of himself.

- Thank you Naruto-kun. If it's really okay with you we'll be moving next month.

*Beep*

The sudden sound of the microwave made Naruto fall backwards in surprise. His elbow hit the table behind him and he grunted in pain.

- Gee, why did I think back on that day again? Naruto asked himself aloud and then walked over to take the ramen out, rubbing his elbow.

Later, as the blonde boy was about to leave to go to school he stopped and turned around to pick up a pair of round glasses on a table in the living room.

"Can't forget these" he thought.

Naruto arrived at school earlier than planned. After checking the time he shrugged and went to get changed for P.E. Just like he predicted the changing room was empty. After getting changed he went to the basketball court to wait for the others to arrive. He didn't walk for a long time until he saw a black-haired person approach him. When he saw who it was he sighed inwardly.

"Not Uchiha again.." he thought.

Sasuke's PoV:

"Okay, I'm going to do this now. I'm going to talk to him.." Sasuke thought as he closed in on the blonde boy who had stopped walking.

He walked up to Naruto and stopped right in front of him. They stood there, quietly watching each other for about a minute. Then Naruto said:

- Um.. Hi?

- ...

- ...

- Hi.

With that Sasuke walked past the blonde boy, leaving him wondering why Sasuke had decided to suddenly act normal, well almost normal. He did seem awfully abrupt and arrogant, but he couldn't help it. The raven haired boy had never acted friendly in his entire life. He didn't know where to start. He thought a 'hi' would be good enough for a start.

Shortly later the other students arrived, along with a silver-haired teacher holding a perverted book in his hand and who had a mask covering half of his face.

- Kakashi-sensei? Naruto said in shock.

- Who else? The silver-haired teacher replied, smiling at the pointless statement.

- Why are you in time..? the blonde boy said, still shocked.

- Oh, well as you know we're playing basketball today. But I'm going to have to end the lesson earlier than usual because I have a meeting to attend. So I decided to come in time today, surprised?

- Very.. Wait, so we get to leave earlier?? Yay! the blonde boy shouted with a big grin.

- Will you shut up already? You're so loud.

Sasuke watched Naruto as he went to greet the one who just told him to shut up.

- Hey Shikamaru! Did you hear?

- Yeah.. I was right here you know, the lazy student replied.

- Everyone's attention please! Let's start the lesson, Kakashi shouted.

After class:

Sasuke had been secretly watching the blonde boy during the P.E lesson. As they were in the changing room he was still paying attention to his every action.. (A/N: No supposed perverted thoughts xD)

- That was fun! Naruto said.

- Yeah, it was. I totally beat you, Kiba grinned.

- Hell no you didn't! You only beat me once, I beat you three times Kiba!

- I was just joking. It's always fun to see how you take everything so personally, you big dork, Kiba laughed at the pouting blonde.

- Very funny. Anyway where to go now when we have free time? Naruto asked.

- Let's ask Uchiha! said Chouji, a food-loving, chubby guy.

- Chouji... Shikamaru sweat dropped.

Sasuke, who had been secretly listening to their conversation, turned surprised around to look at them for a second before he looked away. He was about to leave the changing room when he felt someone grabbing his arm...

Naruto's PoV:

Naruto suddenly felt irritated at the dark-haired boy's arrogance. He felt like he should let the guy see how it's like to have friends, though he didn't know why he cared. Before he knew it he had grabbed the Uchiha's arm.

"Oh no.. What did I just do??" Naruto thought to himself, but then he shook his head and said:

- Hey Uchiha, why don't you come with us to a coffee shop? You can't possibly have any plans during school time, can you?

To Naruto's frustration he received a glare as a response. He was about to say never mind when Kiba said:

- Yeah, come on!

Kiba and the others dragged a half-resisting Sasuke with them to a nearby coffee shop.

At the coffee shop the boys talked about everything, from school to games and music styles. The whole time Sasuke looked rather uncomfortable and said nothing. Naruto wondered if he really didn't like to be around people. He stared at Sasuke for a while until Lee, a hyperactive boy with very thick eyebrows and black, pot-like hair accidentally brushed his arm against Naruto's, causing Naruto to jump a little of surprise and return to reality. He realized he was blushing after staring at the anti-social boy for too long.

"Damn, why am I blushing??" he thought frustratedly before he pushed away all of his thoughts and joined in on the carefree conversation the others were having. Luckily none of them had noticed him spacing out.

That night Naruto had a nightmare. The past haunted him:

- Get away from me! Why do you do this to me?! No.. Megumi.. You killed Megumi! She never did anything wrong...

Minami was screaming and crying at Naruto after accidentally looking into his eyes for a long time.

- Those eyes.. So much alike Onee-san...

Naruto hated when this happened. He didn't know what to do.

"I better leave her alone for now" he thought as he went outside for a walk to clear his mind.

As he slowly walked through the park he thought:

"I guess there's no helping it. It pains my auntie to look at me and it pains me to see her like that. I have no other choice now..."

When he got back inside he went straight to Satoshi's office, next to his bedroom. He knocked twice on the wooden door.

- Come in!

He took a deep breath and stepped inside.

- Satoshi-san... I have to talk to you.

- What's wrong, Naruto-kun? Is it about Minami's actions a while ago? About that, I'm sor...

- Well.. Sort of yes. There's no need to apologize though Satoshi-san. I understand why she blames me and it's really okay.

- Naruto-kun.. Satoshi said with a worried expression.

- After all I was the cause of my parents' death.

- Don't say that! How many times do I have to tell you...

- Let me finish, please Satoshi-san, Naruto said with a pleading, sad expression.

- Okay, fine. Go ahead.

- I know very well that it helps to talk about things like this instead of holding it all in and I hope you want to listen to the story out of my perspective. I don't wish to steal away your valuable time though Satoshi-san, so interrupt me if I do so.

Before Satoshi could reply Naruto who already knew what he was going to say continued:

- When I was 5 I was such a curious kid. I always got myself into danger and my mom always had to apologize on my behalf. Of course, back then I didn't know that. I just wanted to explore. I know it might sound strange, but I actually remember a lot from back then although it was 11 years ago. I remember being very interested in nature and anything colorful. So anyway this one day I was walking with my mom on our way home from kindergarden.

Naruto had a serious expression, a shadow forming in his eyes as he remembered that awful day that had haunted him the past years. He gulped and continued:

- I saw a bright blue butterfly on the other side of the road so I let go of my mom's hand and ran to catch it. My mom was running after me and I could hear her scream at the same time as I heard the sound of a bus approaching. I still really wanted to catch that butterfly so I crossed the road... Just before the bus drove past. When I turned around to see why the screaming stopped.. my mom was..

Naruto shivered and held the tears back.

- The bus driver stopped, of course. He came out looking all pale and called the ambulance. Mom.. she died in the hospital only 2 hours after she got there and later that month my dad couldn't stand being left alone with me so he committed suicide. It was all because of a butterfly.. No because of me, Naruto said with an unsteady voice.

No one said anything for two minutes before Satoshi broke the silence:

- Naruto-kun.. I had no idea that you held such terrible feelings bottled up.. But it was not your fault. You were just a clueless child. You can't keep blaming yourself like this.. It makes your aunt sad too. She doesn't mean what she says when she starts panicking. Sometimes she just can't help but feel that she needs to blame something, someone. Minami does not think that you're at fault Naruto-kun. It's just that you remind her so much of Megumi-san.

- I know that she doesn't mean it, Naruto replied.

"I know.. But hearing that only makes me feel even more at fault. She should blame me and so should Satoshi-san." Naruto thought to himself. Out loud he said:

- Well anyway, what I really came to talk to you about is that I would like to ask for your permission to let me have my own apartment in that village we're moving to. Nothing fancy of course, just a small, simple apartment for one person. I think you know why I'm asking this..

- You hate seeing your aunt in pain, don't you? Satoshi smiled. Alright, I think I get it. You want to give your aunt some space, both for her sake and your own. If that's the case then I understand and I'll try to convince Minami into letting you live by yourself too, if you think you can handle it. Also, before you leave, I have something to give you Naruto-kun. Here.

Satoshi handed Naruto a pair of round glasses. Naruto looked at them a while before he realized why he had been given them. It was to hide his eyes. The eyes given to him by his mother. Ever since she died he had seen his clear blue eyes as a curse. Eyes of the dead.