How's all the party-people doing today?! Here's another chapter to this groovy story, so I hope everyone likes it!
Chapter 2: Naruto's Groovy Soul Palace
Despite the fact that Naruto spent every waking moment of life vying for the smallest amount of respect and attention…
Well, in this moment, he felt he could do well without it…
The past few minutes had gone by with him hoping desperately that his friends would not make a big deal out of where he lived. But as they passed alleyways and stray cats while lugging the heavy box of comics they had gotten free from the local bookstore manager, Naruto felt distinctly awkward as they set off down another alleyway to get to his apartment complex the quickest. He had never had a proper conversation with his friends about where he lived, or even how he lived. They knew he lived alone, without parents, and that Iruka visited him on occasion with the idea being that they went out to eat.
Now they were simply filled with questions.
"How big is your apartment?"
"Do they allow pets?"
"Ruff, ruff!"
"How big is your fridge?"
"Do you have a terrace?"
"Are there any junkyard dogs around? My clan is looking for strays."
"Is it close to any grocery stores I might know? I know them all."
"Can you see the sky well, or even sun bath if you wanted?"
Each question was more awkward than the last, and all Naruto wanted to do was curl up in a ball and disappear. Instead, he fumbled for answers to every question they threw his way, trying to recall this and that in order to stay on cue with their constant bombardment.
When at last they finally did stop asking questions, the three boys began to take notice of where Naruto was leading them. Kiba looked as though he were right at home with the cats that hissed his way only for Akamaru to bark at them, scaring more out of hiding as it was rare for any dogs to be around. Choji appeared aware of Naruto's heightened sense of embarrassment. Shikamaru was vaguely disgusted one moment as they shuffled around a puddle of water dripping from a loose sewage pipe, but other than that he was completely relaxed the rest of the way.
"Geez, Naruto," Kiba said briskly, "I hope your apartment is better than the alleys you keep leading us through. We are going to an apartment, right? Not the nest of the rat king?"
"Shut the hell up, dattebayo!" Naruto said, not bothering to watch his language as they were now on his turf, where people rarely visited unless they were a ninja or really desperate. "My apartment kicks ass!"
"Yeah, but you are leading us the right way… right?" Shikamaru felt the need to ask, because Naruto was not known for his sense of direction.
"I know the way to my place like the back of my hand, Shika." Naruto said brightly, "Give me a little credit, why don't ya."
"All we're saying is if there's an attack," Kiba began, his smirk showing he meant no offense, "we as students of the Academy have permission to kick ass."
"This is my turf," Naruto declared, shuffling the box in his hands as he wanted to point to the sky, "No one is gonna mess with us here! Believe it, dattebayo!"
"…Please stop… Just… please…"
When at last they arrived at Naruto's apartment, Kiba was sucking in great gulps of air as he allowed his arms to go limp. The box dropped to the ground, Naruto jumping away from it so it wouldn't land on his feet. The progress had been slow due to the weight of the box and Naruto having to lead the way, but now that they were there, Naruto was sure Shikamaru had already memorized the path they took to figure out where they were in retrospective to his own house from some other location.
Now the boys stood in a deserted district square, in the center of which sat a vacant lot with a few benches off to the sides of where Naruto's apartment complex jutted out like an enormous obstruction to the eye. It appeared only moderately rundown, as though the repairs to the building had been made hastily and with the least amount of effort. Naruto stood ready to continue, rubbing his reddened hands together as though they had been left back at the bookstore.
"I think I might have preferred the alleys to this piece of crap." Kiba, too, it seemed had abandoned his language filter.
"Hey, my apartment is great! You haven't even been inside yet!" Naruto was not bothering to control the volume of his voice either. That meant there was no one to be disturbed by his loud obnoxious vocals.
Choji smiled as he drew closer to the apartment, "We'll have to see the place then. Come on!" He set off at a brisk pace, strolling past the empty courtyard with Shikamaru at his heels.
"Wa-Wait, dattebayo!" Naruto said as he hustled with Kiba to get the box and make his way up to the apartment first.
They were nearing the apartment building that housed Naruto. Climbing the shabby steps all the way to the top floor was a chore, but seeing the small, neat stone garden housed on the terrace of the penthouse apartment was just curious enough to make the whole trip worthwhile.
At his friends' inquisitive looks, Naruto sheepishly smiled.
"What? I like gardening."
"I would have never guessed," Shikamaru commented, more to himself than any of them. It struck him that Naruto truly was more than met the eye, even more so than he himself had given the blond credit for. Shikamaru was too busy digesting the idea of seeing Naruto taking care of fragile and fickle plants to have much attention left for anything else.
"Oww, crap!" Kiba yelled in pain, grasping his foot as they reached the front door to what had to be Naruto's dwelling. He had probably kicked the door, and from the smug look on Naruto's face, the blond had let him.
"What?" Naruto asked as he saw the look on Shikamaru's face. It was annoyed and bored, something that told Naruto he was being entirely too childish. "He threatened to kick the door down. I gave him a chance. It's not my fault he didn't know its lined with metal, dattebayo."
Shikamaru continued to stare at him unabashed.
"Oh man," Choji said, concerned for Kiba, "are you gonna be okay?"
"Yeah, I'll be just fine." Kiba said, the throbbing in his face more painful from his fight with Naruto than the pain in his foot. He half expected the door to be hanging off its hinges, but looking up he saw that he had barely even left shoe scuff on the front. "I'm gonna have to clean that off, aren't I?"
"Yup!" Naruto chirped happily, then gained an apprehensive look.
"Mind explaining exactly why your front door is reinforced with metal, Uzumaki?" Shikamaru inquired with an arched eyebrow pointed directly at Naruto. Naruto tried to offer a casual shrug, but it was a little to mechanic to seem natural for the easy-going blond's normal habits.
"It kind used to be a bad neighborhood when I was growing up, ya know." The way he was saying this was just a little too casual, Shikamaru thought to himself. Almost as if he didn't want them to pay his words much heed. The Nara clan boy narrowed his eyes on Naruto's back. The blond was fumbling for his house key, which was strange seeing as how when he finally got it out it was the only key on the ring.
"Right…" it appeared as though Kiba had noticed Naruto's glossing over facts as well, and by the worried look Choji was shooting Naruto's back, even he had taken notice too.
"It's a lot better now, dattebayo." This sounded more like the natural Naruto they knew, "Almost everyone else has… moved away… For good…"
Shikamaru glanced away, as did Kiba and Choji. They weren't touching that somber statement with a kunai knife if they could help it. They half-knew Naruto lived on his own, but to be isolated in this area with only the occasional person and a little garden as company was far more depressing than any of the children wanted to deal with at the moment.
"Argh! Come on, man!" Kiba yelled, shoving Naruto to get him out of his present funk. "Help with this damn box already! Geez, I think I got a frickin' splinter or something…"
"I am helping, dirty mutt!" Naruto responded, and Shikamaru gave a sigh of long suffering.
"Just because we're out of ear shot from adults doesn't mean the two of you have to lose all your filters…" the Nara muttered as he entered the apartment behind the two carrying their loot.
"It would only make sense that someone like Naruto use colorful language." Choji shrugged, a gentle smile on his plump face, "Ya know, given the fact that he runs around the village in an orange jumpsuit."
"Hey! What's wrong with the way I dress, dattebayo!?"
"Everything, Naruto… Just everything…"
Glancing around the apartment as they entered, each of the boys would have made their Academy instructors very proud with their observational skills. From the doorway they had stepped directly into a tiny sitting room, which had the feeling of a warm, open environment despite its small space. A soft-looking, yet worn-out threadbare sofa rested in front of a junky television set with an old armchair off to one side, and a tattered welcome rug under the boys' feet. Beyond that and to their right was Naruto's kitchen, which too was small and completely covered in shelves and cabinets, most of them shut tight in worn brown wood or replaced white painted doors. The rickety dining table was tiny and looked comfortable enough for only two people sitting opposite each other. The hallway was just as tiny, with barely enough finger space between the bathroom and the hall closet while Naruto's bedroom door rested opposite the two at the end of the hall.
Overall, despite the size of his apartment, there was an overflow of warm reception to the place that genuinely made Kiba, Shikamaru, and even Choji falter for a second before they quickly collected themselves less they make a scene. Even if they were bathed in poor dim lighting, as though cast by a candle-filled lamp hung from the ceiling instead of an actual lightbulb, the place had an air of care and in every inch showed it was usually inhabited by one Naruto Uzumaki.
"Don't look so surprised, 'bayo…" Naruto scoffed, his arms crossed and held his chin high. Choji moved pass him in order to get a better look into the kitchen. He really wanted some snacks now.
"Sorry we can't control our reaction," Shikamaru fired back lazily, "but if you acted half as civilized as this apartment suggests—"
"And not like some common stray raised in the backwoods!" Kiba barked, but no one paid him any attention.
"—then people would treat you better, and maybe you'd have more friends." Shikamaru finished as though nothing had interrupted him.
Naruto gave his friend the stink eye, scowling his best even while he privately admitted to himself that he did come off a little rough around the edges to others, even complete strangers. He could probably dial the attitude down a bit…
"Dattebayo! I don't need friends if all they do is criticize me!" he said instead of what was going through his head at the moment. It wouldn't do well to give Shikamaru the satisfaction of knowing he was right. They both knew, mind you, but admitting it aloud would give the Nara a smug look that wouldn't go away for at least an hour or two.
Choji came up from where he was peeking into Naruto's kitchen only to slap the blond roughly on the back with a hefty laugh, "Ah, come on Naruto! Us misfits gotta stick together, right?"
Then a look overcame Choji's face, "Kind of makes me wonder if we should invite Shino to hang out with us…"
However, no one said anything as they all had the image of Shino standing with them inside Naruto's apartment. They could just image his dark shades revealing nothing of the boy behind them only for his gaze to pierce all of them. Then there would be the awkward talk about bugs collections and logic that the Aburame boy was playground famous for.
"Mah, mah," Naruto quickly recollected himself, waving a hand dismissively, "Shino is probably busy, 'ttebayo. Guy like him seems to always have something important to take care of. He's a practical one."
"Not to mention how creepy the guy is…" Kiba grumbled, but didn't want to offend. They all knew Shino would be a great comrade when they finally became ninja. However, they would be just fine to keep him as a classmate instead of friend for the moment.
"Well let's open this up, and get a better peek of what's inside." Kiba turned on heel and laid a hand on the crate of books.
The others gathered around the crate with him, and Naruto once again produced the rusted kunai he kept with him at all times. He used the ninja knife to prop open the box, moving in tandem with Kiba as the two heaved the top out of the way and carried it over to a wall to sit against. Shikamaru and Choji were busy throwing out volumes of manga as they went through the box in order to see exactly how many books they had gotten.
"There must be over a hundred books in here." Shikamaru muttered, but was sure the others heard him as he picked up yet another volume before passing it on to Naruto who was now at his side. Kiba joined Choji on the other end of the box as they tried to sort the volumes into order. "That guy must have just been looking for a reason to clear these away."
"No kidding," Naruto easily agreed, taking a hold of Volume 70 before tossing it over to Kiba. "Kinda makes you wonder what was so bad if this series managed to make it so far. That old geezer and the woman said it ended really poorly, dattebayo."
"We'll just have to read to find out if that was true." Choji said, turning around as he picked up Volume 1 and handed it to Naruto, who looked stricken. "Something wrong?"
"Yeah!" Naruto shouted hysterically, "Why the hell are you handing it to me, 'bayo!?"
"Well this is your apartment, so…" Shikamaru drawled with an unimpressed look. Silly he might be, but dummy Naruto was not. He could read just as well as any of them.
Naruto snatched the book with a grumble, "Fine, you bastards. Make me do all the work after inviting you into my lovely home."
Choji smiled brightly, "And do you have any snacks, dude?"
"Eat the fruit in your pouch, dattebayo!" Naruto snapped comically at his hefty friend.
Opening the first volume to the appropriate page, Naruto cleared his throat and began earnestly. If he were going to read this, he was at least going to make them feel bad by putting them to shame with his amazing public speaking skills.
Deathberry #1: Strawberry and the Soul Reapers
We fear that which cannot be seen…
"Hey, my name is Ichigo Kurosaki. And for as long as I've known, I could see spirits of the dearly departed…"
Kiba interrupted as Naruto was leaning back for Choji to see the illustrations properly.
"Just what the hell does that mean?" he barked, looking around himself for ghosts.
His behavior was thoroughly ignored, even by Akamaru who was more engrossed in the story at the mention of spirits for one reason or another.
Naruto continued to read the manga as it opened before them, ensnaring their senses as they saw before their eyes Ichigo fighting street hooligans and talking to the spirit of the little girl.
Then they made it to the scene where Ichigo's father kicked him in the face as a form of greeting.
"Hey!" Kiba exclaimed with a toothy smile on his face, "My mom welcomes me home like that, too, sometimes! I knew I wasn't the only one! Ami had me thinkin' my family was crazy or something…"
Naruto gave his friend a deadpan look, "Kiba, I worry about you sometimes, 'ttebayo…"
Shikamaru gave a sigh at all the interruptions, "Can we please just get through this volume with no more pauses?"
The others exchanged looks before nodding, and they all once again became engrossed with the world of Deathberry.
It had only been a couple of hours since the four young shinobi students had begun their adventure into the manga of one Kubo Tite, but none of them could say they were disappointed so far.
In fact, they were far from it.
DEATHBERRY was awesome!
"NO WAY! I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT JUST HAPPENED, DATTEBAYO!"
"HE WAS THE BAD GUY ALL ALONG?! HOW? HE WAS SO NICE!"
"That was just… that was… wow…"
"How could he just join the enemy like that…? It makes no sense…"
The four were in complete shock as Volume 20 slipped from Shikamaru's lax grip. It was an unbelievable conclusion to an unimaginable first story arc. The characters were all distinct and lively, the settings were breathtaking in their differences from that of Konoha, and the story itself was amazing as it took the four boys on a journey they never saw coming from where they started on the first book.
"Aizen was so insanely powerful!" Kiba exclaimed with a look of awe on his face. Akamaru gave a bark of agreement next to him, the ninja dog's tail wagging excitedly.
"He beat three Bankai with barely any effort!" Choji joined in on the conversation, "Defeating someone like Toshiro Hitsugaya, I could see coming a mile away. The guy let his emotions run away from him, and he paid the price; child prodigy or not."
"Ichigo was understandable, too, especially after the fight he had finished against Byakuya Kuchiki. Ichigo is just lucky to be alive." Shikamaru agreed with a nod of his head.
"But that Captain Komamura looked like he had Aizen for a moment there." Kiba broke back in, dimly aware that Naruto had disappeared for the moment. He probably went to the bathroom. "I guess none of them stood a chance… What with being under his illusions and all…"
"Speaking of just that," Shikamaru narrowed his eyes, "While it's obvious they aren't ninja, and therefore can't break genjutsu like those that the Aizen guy's zanpakutō produces, is it really safe to assume Aizen didn't hypnotize Ichigo while fighting him?"
"That's a good point, Shika," Choji scratched under his own chin in thought, "But I think it is safe to assume. Ichigo didn't witness any special flashes of light, or anything. The only time Aizen drew his sword against Ichigo was to try and cut him in half. Ichigo barely had time to be shocked that Aizen stopped him with a hand… no, with a finger! The Strawberry just didn't have the time to be hypnotized because Aizen took him out of the fight so quickly."
"That's true," Shikamaru sighed, rubbing his fingers through his hair and massaging his scalp. Naruto came back into the sitting room, drying his hands with a small towel as he looked beyond his friends to his front door. The others turned to him, but then had to turn back to the front door as a steady knock came to it.
"I'll get it." Naruto said when he saw Choji rise from the threadbare rug in the sitting room to be a good guest. However, Naruto wasn't stupid. There were only enough people to count on one hand that would show up to his door, even less that would have the manners to knock first.
At the door stood Shikamaru's father, Shikaku Nara.
No matter where Naruto saw Shikaku Nara around the village, the first thing he always noticed about the man were the two face scars he possessed on the right side of his face. They were deep and drew the eye even more easily than Naruto's own orange jumpsuit. There were times where Naruto believed scars like those would get people's attention, and even perhaps generate some respect for him. However, he knew in his heart that it would be useless without the years of shinobi career to bolster such respect.
Just like his son, Shikaku had dark hair tied up into a spiky ponytail. His dark eyes flicked with interest as they landed on the books scattered around them and the open crate off to the side.
Shikaku gave a sigh as he greeted Naruto neutrally and entered the apartment when Naruto invited him inside. Honestly he had nothing against the kid, but also didn't want any headaches by having him around too often. Luckily it seemed Shikamaru grew up to be just like him, and never invited the blond over to their house much. Listening to his son explain himself, because they apparently hadn't even realized how the sun was setting, Shikaku began to stroke his goatee. With his ear rings glinting in the dimly lit room, Shikaku thought about what to do with this new level of friendship between the four boys. Never before had he heard anything of Naruto inviting Shikamaru or the others into his apartment, and maybe that was a good thing. The people had only begun to simmer down in the past few years as Naruto grew older. This new level of trust was not unwelcome, but it did warrant curiosity. Further observation was required.
He was well aware that they were all deadlasts in their year, but that didn't matter much to him. Each would grow into competent shinobi when under the tutelage of a Jonin-sensei for individualistic training. So for now Shikaku was content to let them play and be children.
And that was why he decided to allow the boys to sleep over at Naruto's apartment.
Well, that and because he was supposed to be bringing them all to his house, but didn't want the headache of four prepubescent boys running around or talking loud in his home. He loved them all, even held a special liking for Naruto, but there was no way in hell he was gonna invite that kind of chaos into his house when he could just as easily avoid it.
So, with that in mind, Shikaku left them with a surplus of pillows and blankets before disappearing just as Naruto realized that the old fart was dumping his problems into his blond lap.
That deer-herding bastard!
"Grr…" Naruto growled, annoyed that Shika's dad was so much like him, it was scary. "Oh well, at least now we can finally—"
Naruto didn't get a chance to finish as he moved his head out of the way of a slash aimed to take off his noggin.
"What the hell?" Naruto blurted out as he blinked in confusion, only to find a wooden broom stick pointed in his face courtesy of Kiba Inuzuka.
"Kaien…" Kiba snarled, "Why did you fight that Hollow alone? Why were you so damn stubborn? I, Renji Abarai, will put an end to your hard-headedness by beating it outta ya!"
Catching on to the game Kiba was playing at, Naruto rolled to the side and reached under the sofa for the old lead pipe he kept around as a safety precaution. "You're one to talk, Abarai. Going off to fight that jerk Byakuya was an even dumber move. At least I stood a chance against the Hollow before it used its stupid unforeseen special ability. How stupid were you to forget that someone like Captain Kuchiki possessed Bankai as well?"
Kiba's eyes narrowed, but the smirk on his face was all in good fun. He ran at Naruto, and the two clashed. "I'm gonna make you eat those words, Shiba."
"Bring it, Abarai." Naruto goaded, and the two fought.
Shikamaru and Choji watched the two bang around the apartment for a bit, jumping on and off the sofa while avoiding each other. They both managed to score a few hits, but were too inexperienced with sword-like weapons to do any real damage. Akamaru barked at them a few times, growing worried that his partner might actually get hurt.
Shikamaru turned to Choji, who was watching Kiba and Naruto fight with great care. "Should we step in, or something?"
Choji shook his head, his eyes gaining a trace of stern resolve, "No."
Choji turned to Shikamaru and stared hard at him for a moment before going back to watching Naruto corner Kiba, who was preparing to dodge Naruto's finishing attack. "Listen very carefully to my words, Shikamaru. There are two types of fights in this world. Whenever we are in battle, we must be one of the two. The fight for life or…the fight for pride! Right now…Kaien is fighting for his pride! His wife's pride…his men's pride…Most importantly…his own personal pride. Dismiss this as his stubbornness…and let him fight alone like this."
Shikamaru smirked as Choji perfectly recalled the line Ukitake said from Chapter 135 about Kaien's fight with the Hollow that had killed not only his subordinates, but also his own wife. "As you wish, Captain Ukitake."
"Ha, you're mine now!" Kiba shouted in exertion. His attack flew towards Naruto, who looked grim as he managed to avoid it by slipping sideways and slashing at Kiba's middle. Kiba took the attack, but didn't see the follow up as he was kicked back by Naruto's foot catching his chest.
"Hmph, this is no more challenging than my morning exercises." Naruto boasted, the old pipe now slung over his shoulder as he stood like the overly cocky Kenpachi Zaraki. "I thought you said you were going to destroy me."
"And still you brag…" the voice behind him was unexpected. Naruto turned quickly to see Choji there with red hot anger blazing in his eyes. "It is now time to pay - FOR YOUR ARROGANCE!" Choji had found another of the broomsticks around Naruto's apartment and launched himself at the blond. "ROAR, TENKEN!"
Shikamaru, in a fit of childish, made the explosion sound as Choji hit Naruto, and Naruto pretended to be defeated. Shikamaru then stepped between the two as he waved his arms as though a cloud of dust and debris were obscuring Naruto from view.
"Take two steps back, Sajin." Shikamaru spoke softly to imitate Kaname Tosen's voice as he had a rusted pipe of his own now, "Break all his limbs, Suzumushi, Form Two: Benhikou."
Kiba was on the side already, raining rolled up bits of scroll paper and shooting them at Naruto, who let them hit him as they were all laughing at how Kiba was making whooshing noises as the paper hit the blond in the face and chest.
"It is over," Choji said as he feigned sheathing a sword, "Even if he is Kenpachi Zaraki, he should be shattered into pieces."
Naruto's grin threatened to split his face in two as he took out the bit of paper that was stuck in his messy blond hair. "What? What's over?"
Naruto cocked his head to the side, looking a little more than slightly insane, "I take back what I said, this won't even warm me up."
"Aizen!" Shikamaru switched gears to his favorite scene from the manga, playing the part of Hitsugaya as he placed the old pipe behind his back and stared at Naruto with bemused anger. "I'll ask you again! What happened to Momo?"
Naruto's look of mildly elated insanity disappeared completely as it was replaced by an expression of calm sincerity.
"It wasn't my intention to deceive you. It's just that… out of all of you, there wasn't a single person who could see my true face."
Shikamaru, Choji, and Kiba were a little creeped out at the complete switch to Naruto's persona at the drop of the hat. His voice even sounded like what they imagined to be that of Sōsuke Aizen. His eyes were gazing at them uncaringly, as though the three of them specks of dust to be swept away in his power.
Naruto smiled without care as he stalked toward them with an uneasy aura surrounding him. Kiba actually gave a step back and Choji looked very nervous.
"After all, admiration… is the feeling furthest from understanding." Naruto allowed the dim lights to play off his face as Shikamaru roared and charged at him. Naruto stood stock still, and Choji's eyes widened as he believed Shikamaru had actually taken things too far and stabbed Naruto with the pipe.
"Oh!" Naruto howled, the pipe tucked between his arm and side. Choji gave a sigh of relief. "But no. I am the illusion. And now you are the dead." Naruto hit Shikamaru atop the head with his pipe, making a bonk sound.
"And now I am the dead. Heh, heh." Shikamaru snorted, shaking his head at Naruto's very childish statement.
"Man, all the characters in these books are amazing. All of 'em are so different! Almost like actual people!" Kiba exclaimed with Akamaru yipping in agreement. The others nodded as they too shared the same opinion. "My favorite character so far has to be Renji, though. He seems almost exactly like me. Rough around the edges, maybe, but we always know when to be serious and when to do what's right. Plus, his tattoos make my clan markings look tame! The guy is savage, and I mean that in the good way."
"Didn't know there was a good way…" Choji mumbled in jest, an amused smile playing on his lips. "But I'm with ya, Kiba. Though I would say that Ikkaku guy also fits you well, too."
"Thanks, Cho!" Kiba smiled proudly, knowing that his friend was complimenting him.
"My favorite has to be Ukitake! He's smart, nice, and has all this confidence about himself even though he's really sickly. I mean, it has to take a powerful man and an even more powerful record of success to stay on in the high ranking Captain position if you're practically terminally ill. Ukitake reminds me a lot of my dad. Never heard my old man say a bad word in my life, and I've only seen him a few times without a smile on his face. My dad is always kind to others, and he even lets a few people eat free at your clan restaurant when he's really generous!"
"Sounds like you wanna be just like your dad, dattebayo…" there was something in Naruto's tone that made the others look back at him, but they didn't see anything to make them worry. He was smiling softly at Choji, his cerulean blue eyes shimmering with an unreadable emotion.
Sometimes they forgot that Naruto didn't have the blessing of family...
"Yeah, you're right, Naruto… I do want to be just like him! He's the best guy I know!" Choji nodded, not afraid to basically admit that his dad was his idol.
"Mah, mah… Kyoraku is where it's at," Shikamaru affirmed from where he petting Akamaru's fur. "That guy had to be based off the Nara family. Of that, I have little doubt. Smart, lazy, and genuinely underestimated by the people around him. Now that's who I can see myself growing up to be."
"Yeah, maybe," Naruto conceded, but the wry smile on his face left Shikamaru's skin itching with foreboding, "But you're not as lazy as people think, dattebayo. When I think about you compared to the characters of Bleach, I see you more as Hitsugaya than Kyoraku as you are now. Maybe in a few years you won't let yourself run away with your emotions."
Shikamaru snorted peevishly. "That's rich coming from someone like you. I would call you Ichigo, but that guy was actually pretty smart compared to you."
Naruto's smile only grew. "There you go throwing back smart remarks to cover up your butt-hurt feelings, dattebayo."
"Tsk, whatever…"
Naruto's grin threatened to split his face, but Shikamaru refused to give him the satisfaction of knowing he was right.
Choji peered at Naruto in thought for a moment before turning to Shikamaru, "So who is Naruto in the world of Deathberry, Shikamaru?"
"He is a hundred percent Yamamoto…"
As Naruto's irritation exploded, Shikamaru gained a grin of his own for the payback he was due.
"THE HELL, DATTEBAYO! SHIKAMARU YOU BASTARD!"
"Hey, I just call it like I see it, Old-Man Yama…"
Choji gave Shikamaru a deadpan look, considering that he had riled up the most feisty kind in their entire Academy aside from Kiba. Kiba and Akamaru were also giving Shikamaru looks of exasperation while Naruto went off on a tirade about spilling the Nara kid's guts.
Then the three boys all grinned to each other, all too amused to allow such a priceless moment to pass them by without taking advantage.
"You know what… Shika is kind of right…" Choji muttered quietly, causing Naruto to explode again, this time more in shock than anger.
"WH-WHAT!?"
"Yeah, yeah…" Kiba went on with the joke, nodding sagely to his friends' assessments. "I see it. Yeah, I definitely see it…"
Naruto turned a glare at the Inuzuka boy, "You don't see anything, mutt. I'm nothing at all like that old geezer, dattebayo!"
"Despite your pranks and tendency for trouble, you uphold the rules very closely. I mean, even you know when to draw the line, and you never do anything too serious that disturbs the peace of the village." Kiba started as Naruto's face went sour. They were really trying to rationalize this crap!
"Plus you are the one that tries to help others by showing off in class. Granted, it usually turns out badly for you, but you're actually the one everyone in class looks to when they need to see how things are done versus being told what to do. We take practical examples from you, and theory from Iruka-sensei." Choji confessed, and afterward gained a strange look on his face. So did Shikamaru, but not Kiba who was still smirking up a storm.
"And you are the oldest of us all, remember? Taking and failing those two exams must have been quite the task, but if anyone should have passed them at our age, it would be our elder."
"I'M ONLY A FEW MONTHS OLDER THAN YOU BRATS!"
"Exactly!"
Shikamaru then took over, now appearing more thoughtful than entertained. "You get angry easy when you think someone's not doing the right thing, and you don't usually hold anything back in sparring practice… not even when fighting the girls."
"Hey, they can kick and punch just as hard as we can! Besides, Iruka-sensei always says to never underestimate your enemy." Naruto defended, and Kiba gained the same considering look that Choji and Shikamaru had.
"Plus you're super loyal. I mean, I don't think we can throw you away right now without getting our asses kicked over the betrayal to your friendship." Kiba stated with a finger tapping his chin, "My mom says you're like a half-Inuzuka when I tell her about all the time we hang out, and she says that misguiding your trust might be the death of me."
"And everyone can see how loyal you are to Iruka-sensei." Choji nodded to his own assessment, as did Kiba and Shikamaru. At this point, Naruto's anger was just a deflated balloon of its former self as he half-considered what was being said about him. He sat on his threadbare rug with his legs and arms crossed and a grimace on his face. "I mean, Iruka is the only person at the Academy who can find you and convince you to come back to class. He ties you up, but even we know how easily you can escape or else you'd never get a prank done around the village. When you are in class, you do try your best. It… just doesn't come with the best results because of your impatience. Nevertheless, you do take being a ninja and gaining respect very seriously."
"And you expect the same from the rest of us." Shikamaru muttered mutinously. "If you ever get a handle on your training and some semblance of patience, you would be exactly the kinda guy I'd want watching my back on missions. I can't find fault with your loyalty to the village. Hell, you're such a bleeding heart that you'd probably sacrifice yourself for us…" Shikamaru glanced off to the side, making his expression unreadable to the others.
"I can't die on missions with you!" Naruto snapped, "Sure, I'd try and save you guys, but I wouldn't die from it. I still have to become Hokage so everyone in the village will see what an awesome guy I am!"
Yet, even with those words, Naruto knew that it would be a great honor in his duty to lay down his life for the sake of the village. People like Kiba and Choji and Shikamaru had families waiting in the village for them, worried about their safety. Naruto had no one. If he could give his life for them to go back to Shikaku and Tsume and Chouza…
Naruto shook his head. He didn't want to think about it.
Yet and still… he already knew his answer…
"So…" he said with his hair overshadowing his eyes. "You brats think I'm Old Man Yamamoto, huh?"
Kiba and Choji gulped fretfully while Shikamaru partially foresaw this reaction.
"THEN PREPARE YOURSELVES FOR A BEATING!" Naruto bellowed as he picked up the nearest broomstick and gave chase to his now fleeing friends.
"Wait, Old-Man Yama! We haven't released our swords! Don't burn us yet!"
"IMPUDENT CHILDREN DESERVE A THRASHING!"
"Yamamoto-sensei, please don't hurt us!"
"A GOOD BURNING WOULD TEACH YOU YOUNGSTERS A LESSON NOT SOON FORGOTTEN, DATTEBAYO!"
"Ow! Naruto, that actually hurt! Wait—OW!"
"BE SILENT! THIS IS YOUR PUNISHMENT FOR DISRESPECTING YOUR ELDERS!"
The boys played well into the night, fighting each other and imagining themselves into the pages of their now favorite story. Half through to dawn, they had all fallen into sleep with different volumes adorning their laps as they thought to reread their preferred sections of the first part of the story.
Never knowing, did they, that their everyday lives would be changed from that night onward.
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