Thud…thud…thud…thud…thud.
Naruto paused a moment to admire his handiwork before stooping to collect his "shuriken"—which were really just clumsily constructed pieces of wood and glue. He had attempted to purchase real weapons after starting at the Academy, but when he entered the store and politely asked to see their ninja weapon supply, the shopkeeper had merely given him a poisonous glare before kicking him out.
He hadn't tried again after that.
His shuriken may not have been pretty, but they served their purpose. They didn't sink into the bark of the tree like real shuriken, but he had found a way around that. Before using them, he dipped the tips in paint, so they left a clear mark on his target.
Orange, red, yellow, blue, and green—all of the spots of paint were practically on top of each other in the center of the bullseye he had made. His aim was perfect, so why did he always blow it when the time came for the real thing?
The only answer he had come up with was that he needed more practice. So, practice he did—every morning before he went to the Academy, and every afternoon until it grew too dark to see.
It was taking him longer than usual to find his shuriken in the deepening twilight—a sign that it was time to head home for the night. His stomach growled loudly, voicing its agreement as he turned his footsteps toward home. Sasuke should be nearly finished with dinner by now, and he was famished.
The other boy had taken up the job of cooking dinner for the both of them. It was something Naruto had always dreamed of—sharing a hot, homecooked meal every night with someone else—but things were still so strained between him and Sasuke that he could hardly enjoy it.
He absently kicked a loose pebble and watched it skitter down the street. He didn't know what to do. Even though they were living together, Sasuke felt impossibly far away. It was like the other boy was wearing a tightly wrapped cloak of solitude, and no matter what he did, he
couldn't get him to take it off.
He still believed that Sasuke was wrong. He would gladly trade the emptiness and endless unanswered questions for memories of his family, even if some of them were painful. Still, he couldn't fault Sasuke for feeling as he did, especially not when he could finally understand—at least a little bit.
He had realized something on the night of their argument, after his initial anger had faded. Sasuke knew. He knew that everyone hated him, yet he didn't feel the same way. Yes, he was mad, but not because he saw him as some repulsive sub-human creature.
Sasuke may not have been family, but he was the first person he had met who didn't despise him simply because of who he was. If that bond was severed…
He shook his head determinedly. He wouldn't let it happen. He just had to be patient and keep showing him that he was there like jiji had said. It didn't matter how long it took, he would rip the proverbial cloak off that stubborn jerk's shoulders and make up with him.
After all, the word "impossible" wasn't in Naruto Uzumaki's vocabulary.
"Oho!" a rough voice slurred, breaking him out of his reverie. "Would you look who it is?"
His heart dropped to his stomach when he looked up and saw three large, shadowed figures blocking his way. He had been so caught up in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed them.
"It's the brat, isn't it?" a second voice spat. "Slinking around at night like the vermin he
is."
"I'm sorry," he said as politely as he could. "I was just trying to get home." He bowed his head apologetically, all the while biting down on his lip to keep from making an angry retort. He had learned the hard way that the best way to deal with situations like this was to stay calm and turn the other cheek. If he was lucky, they would let him go without any trouble.
"I don't think so," the first man said. "Not without paying us back first for what you've done." He took a great lumbering step forward, and Naruto's nose wrinkled at the repugnant odor of mingled sweat, food grease, and strong sake. He sighed inwardly as he turned to run away.
It looked like it just wasn't his lucky night.
Author's Note: Poor Naruto. I almost feel bad for giving him such a rough time, haha. The next chapter will be posted tomorrow—and it's a good one, so look forward to it! Until then, thanks for reading and please leave a review to let me know what you think!