A/N: Hmm. Spent more time than I anticipated at dinner last night. I'm
sorry this is up as late in the day as it is. Hope it's worth the wait...
Replies are, as usual, at the end. The website is being pissy and not
reading my html tags, so I guess that flashbacks are going to be denoted by
a pair of the asterisks I use for emotes. In other words, **all of this is
a flashback,** but this is not. It should not be too terribly hard to
follow; all of my flashbacks are entire paragraphs. Hope no one is too
confused =(
Disclaimer: As I'm sure you could have all guessed, Naruto's not mine, nor are any of the characters found therein.
............
Naruto could sense that the shadow was there again. Watching him. He had been aware of his nameless watcher for much of the last few years. With increasing frequency the boy could sense the shadow's presence at night. It never moved, always remained for a only few minutes before disappearing as abruptly as it came. The shadow was careful, hovering beyond what should have been the fringes of the loud boy's consciousness, never getting close enough for the real Naruto to perceive anything more than its very presence. All the boy knew was that it was always the same person. The sun had slipped below the horizon, plunging the world into twilight, only minutes before the shadow's arrival. Even if Naruto would turn, even if he would drop his disguise and openly acknowledge the shadow, he would not be able to see anything. Although he could clearly sense the shadow's presence tonight, he did not feel threatened by the intrusion. If whoever watched him almost nightly meant him harm, Naruto was confident that he would be able to sense it.
Twilight was fast fading into true night and he was still sitting beneath the post where Kakashi-sensei and his teammates had left him almost eight hours earlier. It had been a fairly simple matter to free himself from the ropes that bound him, but for some reason... He just did not feel like going home.
The boy sighed, fidgeting to find a more comfortable position.
**The test had been even more difficult for them to pass than Naruto had anticipated. Many of his assumptions about the actions each would take had proven correct, but he had still wildly underestimated their teacher's strength and cunning. Sasuke, too, had made that mistake. Knowing this caused Naruto to smile slightly despite himself; it was always nice to be reminded that even Sasuke still had much to learn. He had not considered that they could only pass or fail this test as a team. Kakashi-sensei had truly seemed sadistic by giving that test, but it made sense now. He was genuinely excited to learn from the man.**
Hunching so that his chin rested on his knees, Naruto idly watched the wind dancing in the leaves. The shadow had remained longer on this night than it had ever stayed in the past, yet he continued to ignore it.
**Of course, Naruto had been required to act like an idiot during the test. He had gone off on his own from the onset, breaking every rule he had learned from Iruka-sensei. Although his actions seemed senseless and stupid, they were in truth the only form of aid he had been able to safely lend to Sasuke. Even that had not been enough to actually defeat their sensei. All of Naruto's antics, all of his flashy, arrogant behavior, everything had been designed to command his teacher's full attention. As Naruto had hoped, Sasuke had been able to take advantage of this, watching carefully for an opening and attacking in the proper manner at the proper time, but... Even that much teamwork had to be carefully concealed to look like two budding rivals fighting each other as they competed for the bells. Sakura had been all but useless, but... Naruto had not expected much else. She was a nice girl, but was too concerned with Sasuke.**
The boy's stomach rumbled, and he uncurled enough to pat it absently. Although he had not eaten more than a bite of rice that day, he was not yet ready to return home.
**Although it had been difficult to watch the others eat in front of him, Naruto had been determined to suffer in silence. Teamwork... As he watched the others eat and tried to ignore the growling of his stomach, the boy wondered whether the other two would heed their teacher's advice. Sasuke, he was fairly sure, would deign to work with the other two. Sakura would be thrilled, although she still may not be eager to work with Naruto. No matter, now that Naruto and Sasuke could work together openly this test might just be passable.
As Naruto's stomach continued to voice its displeasure with increasing volume, he realized that his two teammates were beginning to notice. Immediately, he began a loud monologue, asserting that he would be fine without food. And then, Sasuke had surprised him.
Hesitating only slightly, he had offered Naruto his food. Although he reasoned away his gesture by explaining to Sakura that if Naruto was hungry he would not be able to help them get the bells after lunch, the glance he shot Naruto said otherwise. So Sasuke cared that he ate. Somehow, that felt very good.
His next surprise had come only a moment later when Sakura, too, offered Naruto her food. Although he knew that she had only done so because Sasuke had offered his, Naruto was still grateful to the girl.**
As he sat, he wondered if Sasuke would have fed him if Sakura-chan had not offered. The thought caused a very Naruto-ish snicker. The sound broke the silence that had settled around him with the night, and the boy shivered. How long had the shadow been watching him now?
**The next few moments were a blur. Naruto had gratefully accepted the food Sakura offered and had just swallowed when Kakashi-sensei appeared, yelling, from a cloud of smoke. With a jutsu the boy had never seen before, Kakashi-sensei had brought a storm from nowhere, shadowing the three children. Terrified, Naruto had done the only thing he could think of, loudly reminding their furious teacher that they had been told to work as a team. To his gratification, first Sasuke and then Sakura hand leapt in to support him. And then-**
With a start, Naruto shot to his feet, keeping his body loose in case of an attack, whipping around to face his watcher. The movement had been fast; one moment the shadow had been on the edge Naruto's awareness and the next... Straining his eyes, Naruto could finally make out a silhouette leaning against a tree. The presence was not menacing, and the boy felt not fear, but curiosity. Who had been watching him for all these years?
Slowly making his way towards his watcher, Naruto abruptly relaxed as recognition flooded his senses. "Has it been you this whole time?" he asked softly, freely approaching the other and stopping a few feet away from his companion.
Sasuke just smiled.
"Has it?" Naruto pressed, taking a small step closer. He was not exactly afraid of Sasuke, but he was not quite sure where they stood either.
The dark haired boy dropped his eyes, his smile becoming a smirk as he crossed his arms. "You are a very interesting person, Naruto," he said at last, looking up and catching Naruto's eye. Naruto stood, staring, unsure what to say, and eventually Sasuke continued. "I didn't think you had noticed me as I watched you. I realized today that you must have."
"I have," the other boy began uncertainly, but Sasuke shook his head and Naruto subsided. Obviously the other boy wanted to do the talking now.
"I underestimated you."
"Everybody has," the blonde mumbled quietly, and Sasuke laughed. The sound was not unpleasant.
"I came back to untie you. The Naruto that everybody knows wouldn't have been able to free himself." Sasuke regarded him solemnly, eyes narrowed slightly as he spoke. "You weren't at home, so I assumed you were still here. I was partially right."
"I didn't feel like going home yet..." Again, Sasuke stopped him with a look. Breaking eye contact once more, Sasuke looked down, contemplating his feet before taking a step towards Naruto. They were within easy reach of one another now, and again, Naruto found himself unsure of how to proceed. Trying to break the tension, the blonde spoke again. "Thank you for offering me food before."
The other boy's eyes remained fixated on his feet as he spoke. "We work well as a team. Even Sakura." Shrugging, he shoved his hands in his pockets, assuming his characteristic slouch as he changed the subject. "I've often wondered about you. About who you really are." Utterly lost for words, Naruto chose to remain quiet. "We have both lived hard lives. I have never really had a friend..."
"Nor have I..." He broke off as he felt the other boy's hand on his shoulder. The touch was soft, a companionable gesture, yet he hoped that the dark would hide the growing blush on his cheeks.
"You must be hungry," Sasuke said, his eyes once again locked on Naruto's. He had not removed his hand from the blonde's shoulder, nor had the other boy moved. The moment seemed to stretch as Naruto wrestled internally, wondering what he should say. A handful of unfamiliar emotions were tearing at him, warring with one another.
At last, he dropped his eyes and nodded. Almost regretfully, he broke away from Sasuke, turning as if to leave. "I was going to eat some cup ramen at home."
"No." Confused, Naruto faced his teammate once more. "I was going to ask... Do you want to go get some ramen at Icharaku?"
"You and I shouldn't be letting anyone see us together and not trying to kill each other. They'll start to wonder."
"It's late. I'll treat."
Those were the magic words. With a grin and a snicker, Naruto walked back over to Sasuke and together they made their way back into the village.
**"You pass." Kakashi-sensei had seemed genuinely thrilled when he smiled and spoke those words, catching them all off guard. The pride in his visible eye had been almost heart wrenching for Naruto. Besides Iruka- sensei, no one had ever looked at him so warmly.**
Sasuke had looked at him tonight with eyes that were, if possible, more friendly and warm than Naruto had thought possible. With sudden conviction, he was glad that he had let Sasuke in.
In a nearby tree, Kakashi smiled, inwardly relieved that neither boy had sensed his presence. As soon as they were out of sight, the silver-haired man dropped to the ground and meandered away. He wanted to finish the next chapter in his book before their first mission in the morning.
............
Silver Dragonfly: I honestly think that we're starting to see some of Sakura's deeper side as the series progresses. She has less to lose than the two boys by letting others in on her real strength and her emotions, though, so I don't think her character goes QUITE as deep as theirs seem to. I've been watching the anime again as I write this (this will be the third time through), so it's interesting how many insights and nuances I'm picking up when I'm looking for them!
Ayako: Yeah, that turned longer than I thought it would, but most of it is the thought process that Naruto went through. I cut it off at that point because I didn't think that scene was very connected with the test. The test is more about the actions than the reasoning behind the actions and I plan to largely skim over it since we all know what happens and how.
Luna Aelf Writer: Well thank you! I'm writing as fast as I can *grin*
Evafreak: I think you're completely right about the bus thing. You really don't realize how much you don't know about people until you just sit and... THINK about it. I'm glad you like my story 'cause I like it too. I've written other stories in the past with my own characters and settings, but since I never had a place to post chapters and get feedback most of those faded away into the background. I still have some of them and maybe if I ever get a break through writing someday I will take them out and finish and polish them and see about having them published. I know about Naruto's need to be loved and respected, but I think that need is almost coupled with his need to protect himself. He keeps this façade up in order to work towards a goal - his goal of being hokage, and that whole goal is based around his need to be loved and respected. And that's why he was actually glad to have Sasuke in on his secret *wink* By the way, I actually do not get straight A's on English. I have had many teachers who did not like my writing style in the slightest and my grades reflected that...
Escuro de la Lus: Yeah, I know the last chapter was short, but this one should be at least slightly longer!!
:D: *continues!*
Disclaimer: As I'm sure you could have all guessed, Naruto's not mine, nor are any of the characters found therein.
............
Naruto could sense that the shadow was there again. Watching him. He had been aware of his nameless watcher for much of the last few years. With increasing frequency the boy could sense the shadow's presence at night. It never moved, always remained for a only few minutes before disappearing as abruptly as it came. The shadow was careful, hovering beyond what should have been the fringes of the loud boy's consciousness, never getting close enough for the real Naruto to perceive anything more than its very presence. All the boy knew was that it was always the same person. The sun had slipped below the horizon, plunging the world into twilight, only minutes before the shadow's arrival. Even if Naruto would turn, even if he would drop his disguise and openly acknowledge the shadow, he would not be able to see anything. Although he could clearly sense the shadow's presence tonight, he did not feel threatened by the intrusion. If whoever watched him almost nightly meant him harm, Naruto was confident that he would be able to sense it.
Twilight was fast fading into true night and he was still sitting beneath the post where Kakashi-sensei and his teammates had left him almost eight hours earlier. It had been a fairly simple matter to free himself from the ropes that bound him, but for some reason... He just did not feel like going home.
The boy sighed, fidgeting to find a more comfortable position.
**The test had been even more difficult for them to pass than Naruto had anticipated. Many of his assumptions about the actions each would take had proven correct, but he had still wildly underestimated their teacher's strength and cunning. Sasuke, too, had made that mistake. Knowing this caused Naruto to smile slightly despite himself; it was always nice to be reminded that even Sasuke still had much to learn. He had not considered that they could only pass or fail this test as a team. Kakashi-sensei had truly seemed sadistic by giving that test, but it made sense now. He was genuinely excited to learn from the man.**
Hunching so that his chin rested on his knees, Naruto idly watched the wind dancing in the leaves. The shadow had remained longer on this night than it had ever stayed in the past, yet he continued to ignore it.
**Of course, Naruto had been required to act like an idiot during the test. He had gone off on his own from the onset, breaking every rule he had learned from Iruka-sensei. Although his actions seemed senseless and stupid, they were in truth the only form of aid he had been able to safely lend to Sasuke. Even that had not been enough to actually defeat their sensei. All of Naruto's antics, all of his flashy, arrogant behavior, everything had been designed to command his teacher's full attention. As Naruto had hoped, Sasuke had been able to take advantage of this, watching carefully for an opening and attacking in the proper manner at the proper time, but... Even that much teamwork had to be carefully concealed to look like two budding rivals fighting each other as they competed for the bells. Sakura had been all but useless, but... Naruto had not expected much else. She was a nice girl, but was too concerned with Sasuke.**
The boy's stomach rumbled, and he uncurled enough to pat it absently. Although he had not eaten more than a bite of rice that day, he was not yet ready to return home.
**Although it had been difficult to watch the others eat in front of him, Naruto had been determined to suffer in silence. Teamwork... As he watched the others eat and tried to ignore the growling of his stomach, the boy wondered whether the other two would heed their teacher's advice. Sasuke, he was fairly sure, would deign to work with the other two. Sakura would be thrilled, although she still may not be eager to work with Naruto. No matter, now that Naruto and Sasuke could work together openly this test might just be passable.
As Naruto's stomach continued to voice its displeasure with increasing volume, he realized that his two teammates were beginning to notice. Immediately, he began a loud monologue, asserting that he would be fine without food. And then, Sasuke had surprised him.
Hesitating only slightly, he had offered Naruto his food. Although he reasoned away his gesture by explaining to Sakura that if Naruto was hungry he would not be able to help them get the bells after lunch, the glance he shot Naruto said otherwise. So Sasuke cared that he ate. Somehow, that felt very good.
His next surprise had come only a moment later when Sakura, too, offered Naruto her food. Although he knew that she had only done so because Sasuke had offered his, Naruto was still grateful to the girl.**
As he sat, he wondered if Sasuke would have fed him if Sakura-chan had not offered. The thought caused a very Naruto-ish snicker. The sound broke the silence that had settled around him with the night, and the boy shivered. How long had the shadow been watching him now?
**The next few moments were a blur. Naruto had gratefully accepted the food Sakura offered and had just swallowed when Kakashi-sensei appeared, yelling, from a cloud of smoke. With a jutsu the boy had never seen before, Kakashi-sensei had brought a storm from nowhere, shadowing the three children. Terrified, Naruto had done the only thing he could think of, loudly reminding their furious teacher that they had been told to work as a team. To his gratification, first Sasuke and then Sakura hand leapt in to support him. And then-**
With a start, Naruto shot to his feet, keeping his body loose in case of an attack, whipping around to face his watcher. The movement had been fast; one moment the shadow had been on the edge Naruto's awareness and the next... Straining his eyes, Naruto could finally make out a silhouette leaning against a tree. The presence was not menacing, and the boy felt not fear, but curiosity. Who had been watching him for all these years?
Slowly making his way towards his watcher, Naruto abruptly relaxed as recognition flooded his senses. "Has it been you this whole time?" he asked softly, freely approaching the other and stopping a few feet away from his companion.
Sasuke just smiled.
"Has it?" Naruto pressed, taking a small step closer. He was not exactly afraid of Sasuke, but he was not quite sure where they stood either.
The dark haired boy dropped his eyes, his smile becoming a smirk as he crossed his arms. "You are a very interesting person, Naruto," he said at last, looking up and catching Naruto's eye. Naruto stood, staring, unsure what to say, and eventually Sasuke continued. "I didn't think you had noticed me as I watched you. I realized today that you must have."
"I have," the other boy began uncertainly, but Sasuke shook his head and Naruto subsided. Obviously the other boy wanted to do the talking now.
"I underestimated you."
"Everybody has," the blonde mumbled quietly, and Sasuke laughed. The sound was not unpleasant.
"I came back to untie you. The Naruto that everybody knows wouldn't have been able to free himself." Sasuke regarded him solemnly, eyes narrowed slightly as he spoke. "You weren't at home, so I assumed you were still here. I was partially right."
"I didn't feel like going home yet..." Again, Sasuke stopped him with a look. Breaking eye contact once more, Sasuke looked down, contemplating his feet before taking a step towards Naruto. They were within easy reach of one another now, and again, Naruto found himself unsure of how to proceed. Trying to break the tension, the blonde spoke again. "Thank you for offering me food before."
The other boy's eyes remained fixated on his feet as he spoke. "We work well as a team. Even Sakura." Shrugging, he shoved his hands in his pockets, assuming his characteristic slouch as he changed the subject. "I've often wondered about you. About who you really are." Utterly lost for words, Naruto chose to remain quiet. "We have both lived hard lives. I have never really had a friend..."
"Nor have I..." He broke off as he felt the other boy's hand on his shoulder. The touch was soft, a companionable gesture, yet he hoped that the dark would hide the growing blush on his cheeks.
"You must be hungry," Sasuke said, his eyes once again locked on Naruto's. He had not removed his hand from the blonde's shoulder, nor had the other boy moved. The moment seemed to stretch as Naruto wrestled internally, wondering what he should say. A handful of unfamiliar emotions were tearing at him, warring with one another.
At last, he dropped his eyes and nodded. Almost regretfully, he broke away from Sasuke, turning as if to leave. "I was going to eat some cup ramen at home."
"No." Confused, Naruto faced his teammate once more. "I was going to ask... Do you want to go get some ramen at Icharaku?"
"You and I shouldn't be letting anyone see us together and not trying to kill each other. They'll start to wonder."
"It's late. I'll treat."
Those were the magic words. With a grin and a snicker, Naruto walked back over to Sasuke and together they made their way back into the village.
**"You pass." Kakashi-sensei had seemed genuinely thrilled when he smiled and spoke those words, catching them all off guard. The pride in his visible eye had been almost heart wrenching for Naruto. Besides Iruka- sensei, no one had ever looked at him so warmly.**
Sasuke had looked at him tonight with eyes that were, if possible, more friendly and warm than Naruto had thought possible. With sudden conviction, he was glad that he had let Sasuke in.
In a nearby tree, Kakashi smiled, inwardly relieved that neither boy had sensed his presence. As soon as they were out of sight, the silver-haired man dropped to the ground and meandered away. He wanted to finish the next chapter in his book before their first mission in the morning.
............
Silver Dragonfly: I honestly think that we're starting to see some of Sakura's deeper side as the series progresses. She has less to lose than the two boys by letting others in on her real strength and her emotions, though, so I don't think her character goes QUITE as deep as theirs seem to. I've been watching the anime again as I write this (this will be the third time through), so it's interesting how many insights and nuances I'm picking up when I'm looking for them!
Ayako: Yeah, that turned longer than I thought it would, but most of it is the thought process that Naruto went through. I cut it off at that point because I didn't think that scene was very connected with the test. The test is more about the actions than the reasoning behind the actions and I plan to largely skim over it since we all know what happens and how.
Luna Aelf Writer: Well thank you! I'm writing as fast as I can *grin*
Evafreak: I think you're completely right about the bus thing. You really don't realize how much you don't know about people until you just sit and... THINK about it. I'm glad you like my story 'cause I like it too. I've written other stories in the past with my own characters and settings, but since I never had a place to post chapters and get feedback most of those faded away into the background. I still have some of them and maybe if I ever get a break through writing someday I will take them out and finish and polish them and see about having them published. I know about Naruto's need to be loved and respected, but I think that need is almost coupled with his need to protect himself. He keeps this façade up in order to work towards a goal - his goal of being hokage, and that whole goal is based around his need to be loved and respected. And that's why he was actually glad to have Sasuke in on his secret *wink* By the way, I actually do not get straight A's on English. I have had many teachers who did not like my writing style in the slightest and my grades reflected that...
Escuro de la Lus: Yeah, I know the last chapter was short, but this one should be at least slightly longer!!
:D: *continues!*