Monster
Chapter 4
Sasuke POV:
That night I lay awake... contemplating on the one called Naruto. I reflected on this past afternoon. So strange. Everything about the boy intrigued me. From his golden wheat colored hair, to his battered and bruised flesh, to his questionable stupidity. He always wore that stupid orange jumpsuit and goggles too. Now that I think about it, he never takes it off. Even in the sun's raging heat and burning rays he doesn't remove his jacket. His body is always concealed.
The fresh cuts on his cheek appeared during my thought process. He didn't just trip and fall. If I had to guess, I'd say he was just smacked across the face with a breakable object. Why would he lie? It's not uncommon for young shinobi to get into fights. In fact, it happened all the time. I pondered on his injuries for a while. I ran countless scenarios and probabilities in my head. None of them fit. The boy was so reluctant on going to the infirmary as well.
After a few more minutes of pondering over the blonde's injuries my mind drifted to his test. He knew those answers, so why would he purposely right the wrong answer? The dobe doesn't seem to mind being called an idiot either. Could there be some reason as to why he would choose to be classified as stupid? And when school ended he had stayed behind. Did he just not want to go home?
A painful thought a struck me. Home...could he be...being abused? It was almost a convincing thought and it matched perfectly with the evidence but I recalled his parents dying in the last war and he lived alone. My stomach churned as I relived a painful memory. Brother...
Maybe Naruto will tell me the truth...one day.
xXxXx
The following morning went like any other. Except...when I took my usual seat I found myself looking for the blonde. He's not here yet. I checked the time and saw that I was pretty early. A few more minutes went by and the blonde still hadn't arrived. There was a slight nauseating feeling within my gut as I recalled my thoughts of last night. Worry. The sensation was foreign to me. What is it about this boy that causes such reactions out of me?
Finally, my cold onyx gaze meet warm azure. Naruto. His clothes looked freshly washed and his hair shined a beautiful golden hue. The lens in his goggles has been replaced as well. When he noticed me, his eyes sparkled and he smiled. He had such a warm and pleasant smile. He was grinning up to his ear. Do I really make him smile that much? I couldn't fight the urge to smile myself. Another foreign sensation this spiky haired blonde gave me.
His gaze never left mine as he made his way to my table and neither did his smile. "Would you mind if I sat with you again today?" He asked cheerfully. I only nodded, even though I wished I had yes. The boy took his seat next to mine and couldn't stop his ever-increasing smile. I gently flicked his forhead, causing confusion in the boy's face. "Baka, does sitting with me really make you that happy?" I smirked. It was innocent yet playful.
He rubbed his forhead and adjusted his goggles. His injuries seemed to be healing nicely. I was amazed at how fast they had healed. They were nothing more than faint scratches. His smile had dimmed as he looked off to the right. Did I offend him? "No..." He began, voice soft and nervous. His gaze turning back towards me, locking me into his blue abyss. The blonde's face started to reveal a redden tint. "You make me so much more than that." He burst suddenly, his smile returning as he giggled.
I thought my face was about to explode. The heat flushed my entire face causing it to turn a noticeable shade of red. The back of my hand immediately went to press against my nose to stop a sudden light nose bleed. Luckily it went unnoticed by the blonde. Does he even know what he just said?! My heart pounded against my chest, causing a slight pain. "Idiot! You can't just say things like that!" I yelled, still fighting of the severe blush. All that bastard did was smile and laugh even more.
Naruto POV:
I guess I really didn't think about what I had said until after. He probably thinks I just made some sort of confession to him. Oh well...it's not entirely inaccurate I suppose. Me asking him out to ramen would probably just make it worse, but I have to try. "Hey, do you like ramen?" I asked.
Sasuke POV:
Ramen? I finished wiping my nose and attempted to still cover the apparent blush that wasn't going away. "You sure do come on strong, huh?!" I responded. The boy's giggle died down but his sweet smile remained as he rested his folded arms into the desk. "I'm sorry..." He began softly. "It's just...I've never had a friend before."
Friend? Sharp pain to chest.
That's weird. What was that about? He just said the word 'friend'. Why did that hurt just now?
The boy's expression was so soft. His brows had knitted themselves upward and his eyes...so gentle. Looking into them I could feel myself being pulled by the tide, sweeping me out to sea.
Naruto POV:
Maybe I was too quick. He's always turning down those pretty girls when they ask him out to eat. I didn't mean for it to sound like a date. He probably thinks I'm weird now. I could feel my expression sadden and my head lower, turning away from his stygian gaze. "Well..." He started. "I suppose I do like ramen every once and a while." The sound of his words echoed through my head. His soothing voice shattering the regret that crept within my heart. My eyes met his in awe. "Really...?" I questioned reality. He nodded.
I really did it. I really made a friend. I'm so happy.
Sasuke POV:
I've never seen someone look so happy. It was just a bowl of ramen, but to him it was the start of something new...something great. What looked like a tear sat on the outer rim of his eye. His cheeks had flushed a rosey pink and his smile had returned into a heartwarming grin. Naruto...I-
"Good morning Sasuke-kun!"
GoshDammit!
(WE INTERUPT THIS STORY TO BRING YOU AN APOLOGY: Sorry feel free to switch out that 'gosh' to something else. Certain curses even I don't feel comfortable saying. It's just a personal preference. AND NOW BACK TO STORY)
Naruto POV:
Ow, my head. It all happened so fast. How did I end up on the floor?
I heard a familiar cutesy female voice and a flash of pink in the background.
Oh.
Annoyed and aching I got up and sat in the farther seat, mumbling something unpleasant. I used my hand to prop my head up on the desk and glance over to the starry eyed pink haired girl. Geez, what's with this girl? Why is she so violent? After she finished her morning routine she slightly turned her gaze towards me. "Oh, good morning Naruto." She said and then returned to Sasuke.
Huh? She said 'good morning' to me...
Sasuke POV:
Damn this relentless bitch! It's never ending with her. It's like she just waits for the perfect moment to annoy me. I've never wanted to hit a woman so bad in my life. Oh please dear god start class already. Iruka-sensei!
"Everyone take your seats I have an announcement!"
Oh thank god!
"Today we'll be splitting up into teams of three, each accompanied by a jounin. You all wanted to help the village, right? Well, this is it. As of today, you are ALL official genin and with this can go on missions. Be sure to listen and do whatever your new instructors tell you." Sensei announced. Three man teams? Missions? Wait a minute! How the hell did Naruto pass?!
I looked over to where the blond boy was sitting. His face was soft and he wore a slight grin. Oh whatever, I hmphed in disbelief. Still...I'm glad.
Iruka-sensei began to list off names and their groups. "Okay, next is team 7. Hanuro Sakura..." The glint in her eye of anticipation hoping my name was next was wonderfully destroyed when the next name called was Uzamaki Naruto. Hehe. "And finally...Uchiha Sasuke." Aw, dammit to hell! I just can't get away from her!
I made no sign of emotion but if you looked closely you could probably see the steam coming from the top of my head. Naruto's gaze caught mine and flashed a warm smile. Oh forget it! I sighed. At least he and I are on the same team.
Once everyone was in their respected teams we were called down to receive our headbands. Excitedly and annoyingly, everyone jumped out of their seats and grabbed their new attire. I watched carefully as the blonde haired genin grabbed his and walked slowly back to his seat. He caressed the metal with his fingertips along the edges of the band and then traced the symbol of the leaf village in the center. His expression was blank at first. I couldn't read it. Then, for the briefest of moments he looked angry...hurt even. Just as quick as it appeared...it vanished...leaving only a weak smile.
To be continued...
I thought I'd lighten the mood a little. Don't worry it'll get dark again. Hope you enjoyed! More on the way!