Naruto: Shooting Star Chronicles

Chapter 4: Forgotten

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO. NARUTO BELONGS TO MASASHI KISHIMOTO.

Sam had awoken in such a good mood. Everything felt better as Jeanne and her were suppose to leave today to New York with a friend of Jeanne's. As Sam got up and walked towards her door, though, something didn't feel right. Sam felt afraid to open the door, but gathered up enough strength to turn the doorknob.

The hall looked just like any other hall, but Jeanne's door down the right didn't.

There was no door there. Someone had torn it down.

Sam slowly walked down the hall, grabbing her baseball bat before hand in her room. As Sam entered Jeanne's room, no one was there. Instead, there was a mess in there consisting of torn up blankets and pillows, torn curtains, and most of all, blood. Blood was all over the floor. Sam was in absolute shock and was now crying. What if that was Jeanne's blood? Where's the hell is Jeanne?

The phone suddenly rang down in the kitchen, and Sam wasted no time to answer it. Putting the phone to her right ear, she answered,

"He…hello?"

"Sam? Sam, is that you?"

It was Jeanne's voice. Jeanne's alive!

"Jeanne! Where are you?!"

"Um…"

"JEANNE, WHERE ARE YOU?!"

"Sam, I'm heading to New York with my friend…Please forgive me, Sam. One of Mike's friends crashed in here and tried stabbing me, but my friend got me out of here. I tried to tell her you were here, too, but she wouldn't listen and said it was too late to get you. Sam, the most important part is to get the hell out of there, NOW! Look, go into my closet and in there is something I think you'll need. It's a bulletproof vest. Wear it and never take it off. Mike will come after you; I know it. A friend of his bailed him out and now he's coming after you. Run, Sam! Get out of there, now!"

"But what about you, Jeanne? I need you!"

"I know you can survive. Just try heading to New York as well. Try to make some friends, but I know you'll be okay. Goodbye, Sammie."

"JEANNE, NO!"

The phone went dead. Jeanne hung up on her, and now Sam was alone.

'If you ever need a place to call home or wish to hear me out, I'm always here.'

He knew this was going to happen. The old geezer knows something about this.

Sam quickly gathered her things into a duffel bag and grabbed her closest belongings. She heard cars approach and knew it was Mike.

As Sam went out the back and headed over the fence, she heard Mike's voice saying of how to block all entrances. He wasn't planning on letting her go alive.

Sam ran as fast as she could to the shop the old geezer was at, but couldn't figure out how to get there. She decided to head to the school and then go on from there. She then went through the alleyway that she took as a shortcut and found the shop.

The old man was once again out there waiting for her.

"Difficult times, I see?"

"How did you know this was going to happen?! TELL ME!"

"I knew by how Jeanne told me so. Mike, her boyfriend, got arrested last week, but Jeanne never told you until what I presume was yesterday. She requested that I take care of you if she were to leave, and since she has, I will keep my promise."

"Tell me why I should trust you and not decapitate your head!"

The old man just chuckled, "Oh, Sam, you make me laugh by your threats. I have told you, I will allow you to go on an adventure of a lifetime that your father went on. You just need to trust me. I will also provide you with shelter, food, and even a few video games every now and then. You need to trust me, first, and then we will go on from there. Is that alright with you, Sam-chan?"

It took several moments of silence to hear an answer. What did Sam have to loose at this point?

Finally, Sam answered,

"Fine."

"By the way, Sam, I feel rude if I didn't introduce myself. You may call me by Shinzou."

"Hn."

Shinzou continued to smile as he told Sam to follow her. Instead of going inside the store, they went towards the left and up a set of stairs that were there. Shinzou brought her inside of what she assumed was where he lived. Sam wasn't surprised by him living right above his shop, but nonetheless, kept her eye out for surprises that she wasn't expecting. Shinzou opened a door down a short hall to the left and told her it was her room.

Nothing special, of course, but it was better than nothing. There was a white blanket with a white pillow and everything else in the room was a baize color.

"Unfortunately, I can't cook very well, so I go on out to a coffee shop to get something I like. You can come along with me if you like, or I can get you something there while you stay here and enjoy yourself. How does that sound, Sam-chan?"

"It doesn't matter. I just want to know about this adventure my dad went on. Does it have anything to do with his death?"

"Not that I recall of, but be patient, Sam-chan. I'll tell you about tomorrow."

"Nani?! Tomorrow?!"

Shinzou then said as he began walking out of Sam's room, "I best be going now; must not leave the shop alone. Someone might steal all my money."

Shinzou also chuckled a bit as he left and went down to his shop. Sam was honestly pissed off. You don't leave an 11 year old here all alone!

Sam decided to take a moment to put together everything that had happened so far:

Shinzou is an old guy

Shinzou was stalking Sam

He claims he did it to protect her

He claims he knew her father very well

And he claims that he knew Jeanne very well

He owns an Antique shop that Sam never heard of before

Sam had dreams where it told her that she shouldn't not only go to that antique shop BUT to not even TALK to Shinzou

Mystery-lonley-ramen eating-hyper-blonde-boy in mystery village at a mystery Ramen bar was lonely like her

All in all, Sam felt like she was in hell. Sam knew there was a lot to do, since she has to figure out how to get to Jeanne in New York, and she has to do it soon. Sam hopes that as soon as she finds out about this adventure, she can leave, but she had a bad feeling that she wasn't going to be let go anytime soon.

Sam felt as if she was forgotten about…

Another summer day, and Naruto was found once again swinging on his lonely swing by himself. Iruka, someone he's pretty close to and perhaps his only friend, tried to cheer him up with a pop sickle stick, but that didn't work.

Naruto was depressed because he was having an even harder time lately mastering his jutsus, and once again he was left behind when everyone else graduated.

Everyone just celebrated the graduation with their own families, while Naruto didn't even have his own.

Iruka didn't give up on trying to cheer him up, "Aw, come on, Naruto. There's always next year, which gives you more than enough time to practice that clone jutsu more. You just need to start paying attention in class, too. Why don't I help you practice? It won't be all that bad. Kiba is going to be there, too, so why not come and practice with us while I help him?"

Naruto silently kept on swinging back and forth. He was in his own little world.

Finally, Naruto spoke, but softly as tears began to form at the corner of his eye,

"Why did my parents have to leave me? I never even got to know them."

Naruto continued to cry, but even louder now.

Iruka stopped Naruto from swinging and wrapped him in his arms,

"What ever happened to that prankster than would paint mustaches on the 4th hokage's face, huh? Your parents are in a better place, and now they watch over you as you continue to grow everyday. You just need to cheer up for them. They don't like seeing you cry like this. I know it's hard to make friends, but I know there are people who care about you. What about Ayame and Teuchi? They care about you. What ever happened to being better than that Sasuke Uchiha? Are you giving up on that, already?"

Iruka got a napkin out from his pocket and tried to wipe the tears from Naruto's now red eyes. Naruto started to calm down after hearing about his attempt to defeat Sasuke in everything, but cried again as he thought about how he at least knew his family before they died. Heck, he even had a brother at one point, something Naruto never had. Naruto didn't have any siblings and just wish he had one person he can consider as one.

Naruto got up from the swings and headed away. Iruka asked, "Where are you going, Naruto."

Naruto gathered up enough strength to stop crying as he said, "Home, before they hurt me, again."

But really, Naruto was planning on leaving the village…

…Forever.

Naruto felt as if he was forgotten about…

Yo, chapter 4 is now up! Weeeeeeeeeeeeee! Read and Review!