I leave the room and the building feeling content and slightly worried. Content because I had gone out of my way to register like I intended; but feeling worried because I didn't know what to do should they actually keep me from becoming a student. I knew it would be very hard for me physically wise because I'm a heavy set girl around two hundred pounds, I have no strength in my arms, and then I have to worry about me loafing around like an idiot. I know I'm used to the false sense of security my town gave me. I didn't have to worry about people trying to kill me or worry about being out on the street like I do now. I only wondered if I would actually train now that I had no computer to distract me. I simply shrugged my shoulders and continued my walk home thinking of my next task; getting a job. I knew nothing about how the academy program worked and I know that just because I'm on my own I don't necessarily get benefits like Naruto does. That thought reminds me of what I heard this morning. My curiosity has me wondering what kind of life he would be living right now.
I finally see my apartment building and I smile because I miss the joys of being in a car and I'm happy to be staying in one spot. When I get to the steps I once again have to fight my fear of heights as I ascend the steps. When I get to my floor I just make it halfway to my door when a small, spiky haired blond boy runs out of an apartment and stops in front of me yelling,
" Hey, who are you?" I furrow my brows and I answer.
" My name is Samantha Porter," He looks confused and I add.
" I'm a new attendant, I mean I'm a new," He folds his arms and says.
" Spill the beans already lady, I ain't got all day!" I take a breath and say.
" I just got an apartment yesterday, I live on this floor." He nods and replies,
" Did the old hag let you stay for free or something?" I shake my head
" No, I have to pay just like everyone else here." He gives me a cheeky grin,
" Hokage-jiji said I don't have to pay for my apartment, and the old hag get so mad!" His cheeky grin contorts into this confused look and asks.
" Hey, why are you talking to me?" I answer the boy with patience. " You started talking to me first." He shakes his head,
" No, like you actually care about me." I try to answer him nicely.
" I think you're jumping ahead of yourself here. We've barely met and I don't even know your name." He gets this wide grin and points a thumb at himself.
" My name's Uzumaki Naruto and I'm going to be the next Hokage!" I cannot help my shock as I say. " Your Naruto?" He gives me a proud grin,
"Dang right I am!" This goes completely against what I had expected living here. Here is Naruto Uzumaki before me and I can't help but ask.
" How old are you?" He holds his hands up, two fingers were up on one hand and all five on the other.
" I'm seven years old!" It was then I noticed the three parallel lines on each cheek, it gave me the impression of him really having whiskers like a cat.
" Oh my god." I say slowly under my breath. This boy right before me is really Naruto. All I could think was. 'God what have I gotten myself into?' Naruto gave me a angry look as he demanded.
" Hey why are you staring at me like I'm a freak or something?" I close my eyes and shake my head.
" Sorry, Naruto-san." I have to fight myself to not become familiar with him. He points a thumb at himself and says.
" Just call me Naruto." His face contorts to a confused look.
" Great, now I can't remember what I was doing out here!" I decide to suggest to him.
" You might have been going downstairs for something." His face brightened up as he says " Oh yea! Thanks Old lady!" I'm so shocked by his words that he runs right by me before I can protest.
" Old lady?" I've never in my life been called an old lady. I look around for him with my jaw dropped as I try to comprehend the boys audacity.
" Hey come back here." I say weakly as I realize too late he's already gone.
I continue to my apartment door and I pull out my key from my pocket. Unlocking the door I step into my door way and I find myself looking at my empty room. The only items there were my school backpack and the green diary I had.
" I'm home." I say weakly as I remember to take off my boots. I shut the door behind me as I enter my home. I could feel my hunger bothering me once again and I knew my body wanted food. The last time I had eaten I had a bowl of ramen noodles and it was the very cheap kind too. My eyes watered as I could smell food on the air. I went to my kitchen and saw no one there.
" Damn, it's the neighbors." I know Sakura wasn't there but my mind taunted me with a vision of her giving me a smile and saying 'welcome home!' with her cooking food no less. I tried my best to be positive and say something nice about the lucky family.
" Well I hope they enjoy the food, whatever it may be." I clap my hands together and say.
" Dear lord Jesus please send me some food my way because I'm really hungry. In lord Jesus name ..." After this prayer I decided to drink water from the faucet in my kitchen because I know I didn't drink anything all day. Going over to the faucet I turn on the cold water and lean over the sink. Even when my thirst had been satisfied I forced myself to drink more. When I feel I drank enough water I turn off the faucet and I find myself looking around my apartment with boredom setting in. While yes I still had my laziness there was no computer for me to write on. God forbid I had only so much paper and I didn't want to write in my diary again, not yet anyway.
A thought struck me so hard I couldn't believe I didn't think of it before: why not train? I find myself slowly agreeing to this suggestion. I had been training in Karate for a couple months within my town. ' We don't have a choice anymore.' a voice said who sounded like Sakura Haruno. ' if you don't train your going to die.' I frown and mutter.
" Wow what a way to ruin the mood." I hear her as if she's in the room. ' Sam you know I'm right.' I answer out loud with pursed lips and a surrendering. " I know." With that I see her point very well. If I don't train and I try to become a Shinobi I will die and death proves to be a very good motivator.
I go to my living room and pick up both my back and my diary. Placing my diary in my back I move my heavy bag into my hallway so that its not in the way. Both my heart and my mind wandered as I did my simple Karate kata's. I found myself in a complete trance of going through the movements. Sometime in the middle of my practicing I had to turn on my lights so that I could continue practicing.
When a knock resided on my door I was shocked enough that I forgot what I was doing in the Kata; Fukara Ni. " Who in the hell could that be?" I ask aloud, I walk quickly to my door and open.
A young woman is before me who has a serious look on her face. She's got long dark hair and she has dark eyes that go with her deep tanned skin. I ask politely.
" Yes?" She gave a rough reply.
" My mother invited you to dinner," She looked behind me.
" and anyone else who lives with you." I smile despite her sour attitude,
" It's just me, thank you for your kindness." She begins to leave and I find myself following. Shutting the door behind me I turn to lock it and say
" Could you hold on a moment? I have to lock my door." It honestly wasn't a habit I had. In truth I've barely started the habit yesterday; but I'll feel safer the moment this becomes a habit. I turn to look and she has opened the door next to my apartment. She waited there with an impatient look. I could feel my embarrassment climb my face as I said.
" Thank you." I walk into the home and see a smaller living room and a small kitchen behind it. An older lady sat at a small table brown table and I could hear another woman in the kitchen. I smile and politely say. The older woman had age lines that defined her cheeks with more character. Her hair was dark like the woman who invited me here, though I could see her hair was with age and didn't hold the same luster that the young tan woman did.
" My name is Samantha Porter," I say to introduce myself and bow.
" thank you for inviting me to dinner."
The old woman smiled and replied.
" Oh you're quite welcome, we heard from Mitoko-san that you moved into the apartment next to us." She tilts her head slightly and then asks.
" Is there anyone else with you?" I answer with a small smile.
" No, it's just me." ' Me and my personalities and I, along with my voices.' I think to myself.
The tanned young woman moved past me as I heard the door shut behind me. Her heart thumped in her chest as she switched personalities. Her eyes widened lightly then shaking my head I returned to normal. A thought came back to mind.
" Forgive me, I'm not really familiar with the Japanese customs of this place." As I walk to the table and sit next too her; her smile turns into a smirk as she says.
" Oh, so we have a foreigner in our mist. Naomi!" I hear the woman from the kitchen,
" Yes Mom?" I furrow my brow as I swore I heard. 'Hai, Okka-chan?' The older woman called to the one in the Kitchen.
" Make a separate dinner for Samantha," I notice her forget the ' th' in my name and say as the woman gave reply. I on the other hand hurried to fix their exception they were making for myself.
" You don't have to do that, I can eat whatever you guys are eating." I sit on my knees and watch as she smiles at me and says
" If you insist. Naomi, just make a plate for Samantha here." Again I hear conformation and I find myself looking to the kitchen; however my attention returns to the eldest lady in this home as she says.
" My name is Mitoko." I notice quickly both the appartment owner and this lady before me share the same name and connect the two mentally to better remember the name. Mitoko gestures to the tan girl who sat across from me and I turn my gaze to her.
" This is my grand daughter Asami." I smile at her and instinctively hold out a hand to her. She gives me a confused look and asks me.
" What are you doing?" I remember then that shaking hands is not something Japanese normally do and I explain taking away my hand.
" People from where I come from shake hands when greeting each other for the first time. It's a polite thing there." She raises an eyebrow and I can't help my chuckle and understanding.
" Yea I know, not the most sanitary thing to do." She shakes her head as she said.
" You have a weird culture." Mitoko gave a warning
" Asami." I look to Mitoko quickly and say.
" No its ok. Sometimes I think my culture is weird." I shake my head as I remember some of the stupid things the people I knew around me did.
" Some of the things we do." I say that with a little chuckle and they both look at me with some level of inquiry.
" What? Was I speaking English again?" Mitoko was the first to recover as she says
" I'm not familiar with that language." I decided to say.
" English is very common in the country where I came from. It's a lot more common then Japanese." Mitoko gives me a look of surprise,
" But you speak Japanese so fluently." I'm not about to tell her that Japanese sounds like fluent English to me or that I can barely discern the difference. So I decided to tell her.
" I studied Japanese on my free time in my country." Mitoko asks me.
" Did you have help while studying on your own?" I answered naturally.
" Yea I've had loads of help." I use this strange ability I have gained here as my help so it doesn't feel like a lie. I smile sheepishly as I say.
" While I have studied on my own. I actually can't read Japanese." Mitoko's look of surprise is fueled by her question.
" How could you have not learned to read our language?" I give a slight chuckle,
" I used the romanji version of Japanese." She looks confused and she askes me
" Speak clearer I don't understand you." "Ro-ma-ji, is what I believed it to be pronounced. Its basicly taking Japanese words and putting them into English spelling."
" So you used this, 'romaji' spelling to figure out how to read our language?" I nod realizing I was probably pronouncing it wrong.
" Well that's what I did in a nutshell." I pursed my lips slightly as I wondered 'Is there really such a thing here?' the answer is quite obvious. I'm either pronouncing it wrong or they haven't gotten that far with translating the two languages. Mitoko shakes her head looking pretty confused.
" I'm afraid you have me lost; child." I instinctively apologize,
" Sorry I don't mean to confuse you." Asami, who was quiet between our chat stated.
" Its pronounced Ro-ma-Ji not Ro-man-ji." While I think it's a snooty reply I nod and politely thank her,
" Thank you Asami." She gives me this angry look and shouts.
" It's Asami-san, not Asami." By that point I realized I offended her and gave another apology.
" I'm sorry I didn't mean to disrespect you I'm used to my language and how it works more than Japanese." She folds her arms and looks away with a huff and I find myself making more enemies then friends.
Just as this is occurring Mitoko's daughter brings a big bowl and to my surprize it is filled with rice. She quickly leaves.
" Asami won't you help your mother?" She gets up and leaves with a word. I am left with the Older lady in silence and I can't help but say.
" I didn't mean to upset her." The lady gave a sigh.
" Asami has been touchy lately, it's not your fault. We'll I can't say you won't get the same reaction as Asami gave you for lack of respect. Just try to remember to respect people from now on." I know very well that Asami's reaction was meant to teach me. Now the learning part would be tricky because I am very used to using English ways or more specifically American ways. Despite this I tried to memorize what Mitoko said.
Naomi and Asami brought dishes and other food to the table. I saw the food and I couldn't help but notice a problem. We were going to eat fish which isn't a big deal; but we were going to do this with chopsticks. I do know how to eat with chopsticks; but I never had to eat fish with them so I'm worrying that I'm going to make a fool out of myself. Life did not seem to be on my side today; although I get a meal I'm still probably going to make a fool out of myself: lovely. The food is set before me and my hunger roars back to life within me and I am left feeling awkward as my stomach growls. They look at me and I couldn't lie.
" I haven't eaten anything all day so I'm really hungry." Before I could protest Mitoko takes my bowl and shovels rice into the bowl until it's heaping and places it before me. Before I realize what I'm doing I'm taking the bowl in my hand and begin eating. I hear a
" Ahem." and look I see they had not begun eating and I place the bowl down with a sheepish grin.
" Sorry I'm really hungry."
When the rice is all served they placed their hands together which to me meant they were going to pray and I copied them closing my eyes ; but all they said was
" Thank you for the lovely meal." and I could hear movement. I opened my eyes and they had began to eat. Despite their own custom I mutter my thanks to the lord under my breath. After this I took the chopsticks they placed beside the plate and hunt for the bowl of rice given to me. Picking up the bowl I begin to shovel the food in my mouth; feeling my hunger roar to life and take over myself. It did not matter anymore if I looked like a slob, at this precise moment shovelling the food down my gullet really only mattered to me.
Despite my hungers control over my body I did notice the stares the family gave me only after half my rice was gone. I remove the bowl from my face and I give a sheepish smile.
" I'm sorry I haven't eaten for the day." The lady in front of me looked confused and spoke.
" Well no wonder, I thought our food wasn't going to be good to you since you're a foreigner." I quickly replied,
" Your food is great!" The woman replied.
" Could you not speak in that dialect, I can't understand you." ' Sheesh you'd think-'I quickly tone out the voice forcefully thinking. ' Shut up!' and I reply.
" Sorry I said your food is great." She looks down slightly and says
" You haven't touched the fish." I answer her.
" Its because I never ate fish with chopsticks before." She smiles.
" Oh." She holds up her chopsticks and says.
" You hold them like this." she then proceeds to pick up a piece of fish and I watch intently.
" That's how you eat the fish." I look at my own chopsticks and suddenly I can't remember what I had seen and still could not remember her name. " What's your name again?" She smiles and says,
" I'm Naomi dear." I find myself working to remember her name in my mind as I reply.
" Naomi," I nod,
" Thank you for the tip." Light smiles are filling the room and I wonder just what their smiling about; but I do not ask because I feel it is not my place to know.
I work my chopsticks in my hand to a better position and make a grab for the fish on the plate. The fish breaks apart easily but I lose the piece. I feel my determination become renewed and I attack the piece of fish with my chopsticks. I can't help my satisfaction as I take the piece of fish and put it within my mouth. The fish was soft within my mouth and it had a tangy taste that had a hint of lemon.
" This fish tastes amazing." Naomi replies to me.
" Well I'm glad you like my cooking." I look up and smile at her. I realize there is a lot I don't know about the Japanese culture and there's much more I know nothing about when it comes to Konoha's culture. I find I'm not the only one in my head who feels as I do as I hear in my mind a first soprano voice who had a soft tone as she said. ' I don't know anything about Konoha either.' ' Nodoka?' I ask in my mind as I eat. The voice whispers back. ' Yes?' I slightly shake my head and mentally. ' I was just unsure of who I was hearing.' a picture of a small warm smile enters my mind and then I find myself no longer in control.
She found herself in control once again and looked around the table. ' Sam must not be in control right now.' she thought as she took a bite of the fish and placed it within her mouth. Her eyes widen slightly and she blinks.
Suddenly I'm in control of myself again and I lightly shake my head. The older lady asks me with worry . "Is there something wrong, Samantha-san?" I shake my head and I answer.
" I'm just having a little trouble with my head is all."
All movement stops when I finished my words and I see them all looking at me. The eldest woman asks me.
" What kind of head trouble are you having?" I find myself digging a hole as I answer.
" I'm dealing with my schizophrenia right now." The eldest woman furrows her brow and asks.
" Schizophrenia?" I clarify.
" I hear voices and see things that aren't there." she finds herself… I feel myself switching personalities erratically as I heard.
" Well you're not the only one who deals with Illness." I had to fight to not mention my personalities and lightly I express my discomfort.
" Why are you guys staring at me?" My voice is light and I can't help but change my mentality as I say.
" I'm sorry I'm struggling with my personality's as well." I look at Asami and she has her eyes wide and her mouth dropped. I realize that many people here don't deal with mental health patients here and I know I can't dig myself out of my grave.
" I'm sorry I shouldn't have said anything."
" We are not the only ones that have to deal with this, disorder." I have forgotten the name of the eldest woman; but she spoke as if they really did deal with this disorder. She looked to Asami and I found myself understanding their situation a little bit more. Asami must deal with the same disorder. She shook her head and said.
" She couldn't possibly understand." I smiled and found myself saying in a deeper voice.
" Believe me, we do understand." The sentence came out of my mouth unexpectedly and I really ain't sure how she'll take it. She widens her eyes and states.
" You switched into a different personality." I could only reply in a higher pitch tone.
" We switch all the time." Then she asks me.
" How can you do that?" I ask her in another perspective.
" How can I control it?" The other perspective makes me sigh as I see her nod.
" We had to give up our names," I switched to a slightly deeper tone.
" We had to give up our uniqueness." And finally I finished.
" But that is the only way she allows us 'out'." The last personality was making me tremble and I could not find a calm as fear trickles into my mind. 'She couldn't understand.' those words repeated in my mind and I said.
" Perhaps I don't understand you as you are now, but I understand the gist of what you'er going through." She gave me a confused look as she repeated.
" 'gist'?" I nodded,
" That means that I understand generally what your going through." I remember too add.
" It can mean other things but that's what it means in this context." lights went on as I find myself switched into another personality ' I can't believe my luck.' Asami was smiling at me. Then we realized that she was looking to her grandmother.
" We didn't believe we'd meet someone with the same problem as Asami." I smile and say
" Well, here I am. I can help if you wish." While I believe I can help Asami I find myself being reprimanded by Sakura. 'You do realize we need to get a job right?' I nodded and I hear the elder lady ask.
" Is something wrong?" Likely digging myself a grave I told her.
" One of my personalities is reprimanding me for offering help." They furrowed their eyes and finally I could remember the elder lady's name is Mitoko.
" What do you mean?" A light switch goes on in my brain as I answer.
" Well I need to get a job before the month's out." The lights in my mind warned me too late for the grave I was once again digging as Mitoko asked.
" Is miss Mitoka letting you stay for free?" I shake my head and find myself in the hands of another personality.
" No." He answered and kept me from revealing the bargain I made with Miss Mitoka. ' I tried my best to keep it hidden Sam. I can't guarantee the others will do the same.' he says and suddenly I am myself again.
Mitoko kept asking me questions and she probed me for information as we ate dinner and little else happens until it is the end of dinner and they become very serious.
" You've met the young boy haven't you?" I furrow my brow in confusion.
" You mean the one living in the apartment?" Mitoko replies,
" Yes that's right." I find myself crossing my legs and fighting not to whine about the pain that I felt within my legs.
" What do you think of the boy?" A soft thought comes to mind and I smile.
" He's a little bit rustic," I hear music lighlty playing within the backround and I smile.
" I don't believe I understand your term."
" Like being rusty, I think all he needs is a bit of polishing and he'd be a good boy." Asami retorts.
" Fat chance of that." I feel angry at her remark and feel it is made unjustly. " Hey now he's just a boy, everyone starts somewhere." Mitoko says with a rough voice.
" That boy has been nothing but trouble." She looks to me with a serious gaze.
" You'd do well to stay away from him." That made me begin to believe this lady was not as nice as I thought she was.
" He's just a boy, what harm can he do?" She is glaring at me and I find myself very intimidated by her.
" Much." I felt the serious nature of her answer and I found myself mentally agreeing for different reasons.
I know who he is. He is the container of the Nine Tailed Fox; but I also know he is a young boy who really wants to be loved just like any other boy his age. Life was not pleasant for him and right now my life wasn't pleasant either. How could I hate the boy who I knew would do great things? He didn't have parents to guide him so who was to say he really was a bad child?
At this moment I realize that I am not making friends with this family; but enemies who did seem to need my assistance. That would all be up to them though. I find myself standing up and saying in a calm collected voice.
" I am tired, may I be excused?" Naomi had already gathered the plates so all I could do was bow and say.
" Thank you for the lovely meal." Leaving quickly as I was excused I found myself alone in my apartment.
" Boy we really dug a grave with that family." A deep voice erupted from my mouth.
" Well It can't be as bad as almost revealing what Miss Motoka said not to." Light chuckles erupted from me and I find myself attacked by the isolation I felt. ' Just go to sleep.' I told myself. ' Everything will be fine if you just sleep.' both of my eyes had to adjust to the dark when I turned off the light thinking about being there for Naruto and what that might entail. My last coherent thought is thinking of being there for him despite knowing what a mess I would be getting into and remembering I still needed a job.
