Original Sin
Original Sin
Chapter 4: Will
"Good evening! How are you tonight? What would you like to order?" A pretty young lady greeted Naruto as he sat down. Naruto stiffened slightly. He had never been treated so kindly before. The girl offered him a menu, but he shook his head.
"I can't read." He stated, looking into the girl's brown eyes. She looked surprised, but easily steadied herself.
"I apologize! I recommend miso ramen, if you have not come here before."
Naruto let a smile cross his face as he nodded. Inside, he felt a slight pang of sadness. While he had cleaned himself, put on a new outfit of clothes, and changed his entire appearance, inside, he was still the same. Uneducated, uncivilized… but worst of all… demonic. Surely this girl would reject him once she knew of his "heritage."
"Oy! Ayame-chan! I want three bowls of miso and two bowls of seafood!" A loud voice yelled out a few seats to the right of Naruto. Naruto turned abruptly, recognizing the voice. It was the genin named Kiba, the one who liked dogs, with the rest of his team – Naruto recalled their names were Hinata and Shino.
Kiba must have sensed Naruto watching, because he turned and gave Naruto a condescending stare. "What are you looking at, huh?"
Naruto just stared right back. He wasn't scared of this random kid, especially since he had faced down much worse. Truth be told, Naruto wasn't exactly sure how to respond. A lack of communication had rendered him relatively tongue-tied in any sort of conversation...
"I… said… What. Are. You. Looking. At?" Kiba had now stood up and was approaching Naruto slowly.
Naruto may have been lacking in communication skills, but he could sense a fight coming from a mile away. Despite the boy's insolence, Naruto did not want to betray the Hokage by getting into a fight so quickly.
"I'm sorry. I was just curious why you had ordered five bowls when there are only three of you."
Kiba smirked. "First of all, it's none of your business. But if you're dying to know, I'm saving one for my sensei, who should be coming soon, and two are for me because I am super hungry."
Naruto did not respond. "Not everyone can afford two bowls." 12 years of living in below-poverty had taught him that. Kiba began to glare after he realized that Naruto was going to leave him hanging. "You know what? I think we should fight after this. See whose better, how about –"
"Don't tell me you're picking fights already, Kiba." A voice interrupted.
A womanly figure smoothed into the seat next to Naruto, between him and Kiba. She turned to Kiba and the rest of Team 8, greeting them all, before turning to Naruto.
"I must apologize for my brash student's behavior. He means no –"
Naruto's azure eyes connected with Kurenai's crimson ones as it was her turn to stop midsentence. She gave him a questioning glance, as if she were trying to figure out if she had met him before.
Naruto smiled. "You told me about the public duel this morning, ma'm." He did not refer to the first part, where she had caught him spying behind the bush.
Kurenai nodded in recognition. "I do remember. Did you enjoy the fight?" The edges of her mouth lifted up a bit, most likely remembering the humorous experience the bystanders had underwent.
Naruto grinned. "It was definitely entertaining, although I wish I had seen more… umm… I don't know what you call it… that hand-seal-magic-fireball thing." He finished quickly, a bit embarrassed.
Kurenai let out a soft chuckle, amused. "Ninjutsu?"
Naruto nodded, blushing. There was something about the woman, that simply made one shy. He couldn't quite place his finger on it, but it probably was the result of being mature, sophisticated, and beautiful at the same time.
"I apologize for my manners. My name is Yuuhi Kurenai." She put forth her right hand, in a sideways position.
Naruto looked down at her hand. He had no idea what to do in this situation. Never had a hand been offered to him in that manner, a non-threatening, simply friendly sort of way. He began to feel warm as he tried to think of what to do.
Recalling seeing two businessmen grab each other's hands and move up and down, Naruto decided that this must be the same context, and enthusiastically reached out his hand to touch hers.
Unfortunately, it didn't feel quite right, and Kurenai must have noticed it too because she gave him a curious look. "I think you used the wrong hand." She gave him the tiniest of winks, which merely served to further his embarrassment as he realized his mistake.
Naruto reached out the correct hand, grasping her hands in a nervous manner. Apparently sensing that he had no idea what to do after that, Kurenai guided his hand in an up-to-down manner.
Their eyes met, and Naruto couldn't help but smile, face still a bit red. Kurenai smiled back, as Naruto's heart skipped. He may have been a beggar, and only age 12, but he was old, and mature enough, to realize that not everyone, certainly not every woman, was as attractive as this. Out of the corner of Naruto's eye, he noticed Kiba giving him furious glares, as no doubt the boy wanted to be the object of his sensei's attention.
The entire handshake was only a few seconds, but it felt like an hour to Naruto.
"I don't believe you've told me your name yet."
Naruto nearly slapped himself, as realization dawned that he was making a fool of himself.
"I'm so sorry, Kurenai-san. It's great to meet you, I'm Uzumaki Naruto."
It became deadly quiet. Kurenai seemed to quiver, while the rest of team 8 flinched. It was as if Naruto had just told a frightening story.
A pregnant silence followed. The woman's eyes had left his face, and now were staring intently at the Ichikaru sign. She bit her lip, clearly not trusting herself to speak.
"Your miso, sir!" A voice broke the unnatural quietness, as Naruto saw a bowl of noodles placed in front of him. But he had lost all appetite, even though he had not eaten for so long. There was simply no way he could have eaten a single bite.
Naruto placed double the necessary money on the table, as his eyes met those of Ayame's. Her joyful, carefree smile and bright eyes seemed to wilt, as she noticed the subtle, but very clearly pained look on the boy's face.
"I'm truly sorry… Ayame-san… I… have to go." He quickly left the stand, desiring to get out as fast as he could.
"Well, at least she was nice to you for a bit…" He thought to himself, as he entered the dark apartment. Sitting on a chair, he stared off into the darkness, somehow, feeling more empty inside than he had for his entire life. Whereas before, he had always had a goal in mind, and planned his thoughts around it – such as how to obtain his next meal. But now, with no clear goal in sight, Naruto wasn't sure if there was anything worth living for.
And so, after sitting in the darkness for hours, Naruto fell into the embraces of dreams.
A/N: Please review.