A/N: How long do you think I should make this story? I'm kinda feeling 15-20-ish chapters. I could do more if y'all want it, but this is what my goal is.

A Good Day

Uzumaki Naruto awoke with bleary eyes, crusted over with sleep. He felt as if his arms were made of lead, and his legs of steel. He could taste his breath and he immediately knew he forgot to brush his teeth before bed.

Naruto heaved himself up into a sitting position, and rubbed at his eyes with the heel of his palm. He knew he didn't have a meeting with his team today, so he promptly lay back down.

He lay on his side for what seemed like an eternity, but he felt no desire to move. Eventually, the blond Uzumaki fell asleep and knew no more.


~Time skip because plot~

Now awake, Naruto stretched his sore muscles. He felt lighter, for lack of a better word, than he usually did. He could tell it was a Good Day. He hated those days almost as much as he loved them, because he knew that all good things must come to an end. He knew that, eventually, he would crash.

He couldn't get his hopes up, though. If he expects a Good Day, it'll turn bad. Hey, he didn't make the rules, that's just the way you play the game.

Cursing any, and all deities who wrote the damned rules, the shinobi in orange made his way to the washroom.

Passing by a clock on the wall, he mentally noted that it was 3:27 PM. He felt dejected, a whole day gone to waste. He didn't know what he would've done with the day, but surely it would've been productive.

After he's washed the aftertaste of sleep off of his tongue, he dressed in his usual outfit. The whiskered ninja finally stepped out of his dingy apartment and contemplated asking Choji to Ichiraku to eat with him. He's already missed breakfast and lunch, so he supposed having ramen for dinner wouldn't have Sakura-chan scolding him.

Choji had agreed to his invitation, and they met up outside the bar. 20 bowls of ramen and a deflated Gamma-chan later, Sakura-chan approached the bar.

"Naruto! I've been looking everywhere for you! You didn't answer when I knocked on your door, so I assumed you were out."

"How long have you been looking for me, Sakura-chan?"

"Two hours, Naruto! We were supposed to spend time with Sensei, remember?"

He... forgot about that. Naruto couldn't remember anyone saying anything about that. That's not new, though. He forgets. No matter how hard he tries to recall, he never seems to be able to remember.

Sakura knew he forgot, it was a little obvious. She never blames him, though. She knows the signs, she is training under Senju Tsunade after all. She doesn't bring it up, though. She knows it could be uncomfortable to talk about in an isolated room, let alone in public. Nevertheless, she automatically forgives him. It's not his fault. He'll come to her on his own. She had felt the same way, to a lesser extent, when Sasuke left. She couldn't imagine living with it every second of every day.

"I see you have other things to do, so I'll let you go. It was nice hanging out with you, Naruto. We should do this more often!"

Startled, Naruto looks over at Choji, whom he forgot was there. Choji only smiled, and Naruto felt the compelling urge to smile back. A genuine smile.

Choji knows that look in Naruto's eye when he spaces out. The empty, blank look that unexpectedly conveys so many emotions. You have to dig deep to find them, but you can't expect to grow up around Yamanaka Ino and learn nothing. The Akimichi understands, and he knows when people need space. You can't expect anyone to be better after forcing them into something that they aren't ready for. So he'll take things slow, and help his friend when Naruto needs it. Right now, Choji knows that Naruto needs time to himself.

After Choji and Naruto had parted ways, Naruto asked Sakura-chan if he could still come to the small gathering. She said that they would have more time to goof off tomorrow. Naruto understood the message that she subtly conveyed.

'I know you need some time to yourself right now, so go home and do your own thing.'

At the end of the day, Naruto threw off his sandals and immediately started cleaning. His apartment was a mess. He's been meaning to clean all week, but he just couldn't muster up the motivation. Clothes strewn everywhere, ramen cups lying about, rubbish piling up in the bin, dishes in the sink, bed unmade, junk on the floors and counters... It was a little overwhelming, but he'd finished. As he got settled in bed, Naruto thought to himself, 'Yes,' he'd grinned. ',today was a good day.'

It didn't occur to him that he'd never noticed the whispers about him in the streets.


A/N: How did I do? Was it okay for a first chapter?