Chapter 2
It took him several hours to clean up and it was dawn by the time he finished practicing his jutsus. He would have to get to the academy within the hour. "Kuso," Naruto swore, "If it wasn't for those damn gangsters I'd have had plenty of time to sleep. Why the hell does everyone in this damn town hate me so much?" He got off his mat and grabbed his back pack. On his way out the door he made sure he locked it good and tight. Naruto sighed as he walked down the stairs to the street below. He then started his daily trek from the projects of Konoha to the ninja academy. He decided to stop by a corner store to grab a quart of milk to drink on the way.
He went to the back and grabbed a quart out of one of the refrigerator units. As he walked up to the counter to pay, an adult shoved him aside and set his stuff on the counter. Naruto tripped and hit his head on one of the open top coolers of beer. It knocked him a little dizzy but he would be ok. This wasn't the first time it had happened to the little fox-boy. He picked himself up of the ground, his backside wet from the pool of water forming under the cooler. As he slowly stood up, he slipped on that same puddle, but caught himself by grabbing one of the near by racks. After the man who had pushed his way in front of him finished paying, Naruto place his milk on the counter along with seven quarters to pay with. As he handed Naruto back the milk he asked, "You didn't put anything in your pockets that you aren't planning to pay for, did you?" Naruto, with his head slumped as usual, shook his head and took the milk. "Can i have my change and please?" he asked politely. Coldly, the clerk dropped the quarters into the open register and asked in return, "What change?" Naruto was almost out of the door when the clerk yelled at him, "And don't you be tearing down my counters either you little punk. Now get the hell out of here."
As Naruto walked down the alley, he opened up the bottle of milk and drunk it down. He was probably running late already, but he could never be sure because he didn't have enough money for a watch. To make up for the lost time at the store, Naruto decided that it would be quicker just to go out in the streets and jog to school. Maybe if he was moving fast enough he wouldn't have time to notice everyone's cold looks. He started out in a fast walk, but slowly moved up into a jog and then to an all out run as he noticed the "go to hell" looks more and more. He jogged his way through crowds and around carts and over animals. It seemed as though nobody was willing to be nice enough to him to at least move just a little bit for him.
As he rushed by Ichiraku, the bartender called out to him to come here. He walked in slightly and asked, "What is it?" The bartender looked at him slightly confused and said, "Where are you of to in such a hurry on a Saturday?" Naruto was embarrassed that he had been so worried about getting to school the he actually forgot that he had the day off. He asked the bartender, "Are you sure it's Saturday?" The barkeep pointed to the chalkboard with the daily special on it and said, "The board don't lie. It's Saturday and today's special is miso ramen." Naruto smiled a bit and said, "Have you got any more room on my tab for a few more bowls?" The barkeep smiled kindly and told him, "We always do." With that Naruto hopped up into his usual seat and ordered a bowl of the special. Maybe if his belly was full things wouldn't look so bad anymore. After all, he still had almost a week to master Bushin no Jutsu and two days to completely devote to it.
It took him several hours to clean up and it was dawn by the time he finished practicing his jutsus. He would have to get to the academy within the hour. "Kuso," Naruto swore, "If it wasn't for those damn gangsters I'd have had plenty of time to sleep. Why the hell does everyone in this damn town hate me so much?" He got off his mat and grabbed his back pack. On his way out the door he made sure he locked it good and tight. Naruto sighed as he walked down the stairs to the street below. He then started his daily trek from the projects of Konoha to the ninja academy. He decided to stop by a corner store to grab a quart of milk to drink on the way.
He went to the back and grabbed a quart out of one of the refrigerator units. As he walked up to the counter to pay, an adult shoved him aside and set his stuff on the counter. Naruto tripped and hit his head on one of the open top coolers of beer. It knocked him a little dizzy but he would be ok. This wasn't the first time it had happened to the little fox-boy. He picked himself up of the ground, his backside wet from the pool of water forming under the cooler. As he slowly stood up, he slipped on that same puddle, but caught himself by grabbing one of the near by racks. After the man who had pushed his way in front of him finished paying, Naruto place his milk on the counter along with seven quarters to pay with. As he handed Naruto back the milk he asked, "You didn't put anything in your pockets that you aren't planning to pay for, did you?" Naruto, with his head slumped as usual, shook his head and took the milk. "Can i have my change and please?" he asked politely. Coldly, the clerk dropped the quarters into the open register and asked in return, "What change?" Naruto was almost out of the door when the clerk yelled at him, "And don't you be tearing down my counters either you little punk. Now get the hell out of here."
As Naruto walked down the alley, he opened up the bottle of milk and drunk it down. He was probably running late already, but he could never be sure because he didn't have enough money for a watch. To make up for the lost time at the store, Naruto decided that it would be quicker just to go out in the streets and jog to school. Maybe if he was moving fast enough he wouldn't have time to notice everyone's cold looks. He started out in a fast walk, but slowly moved up into a jog and then to an all out run as he noticed the "go to hell" looks more and more. He jogged his way through crowds and around carts and over animals. It seemed as though nobody was willing to be nice enough to him to at least move just a little bit for him.
As he rushed by Ichiraku, the bartender called out to him to come here. He walked in slightly and asked, "What is it?" The bartender looked at him slightly confused and said, "Where are you of to in such a hurry on a Saturday?" Naruto was embarrassed that he had been so worried about getting to school the he actually forgot that he had the day off. He asked the bartender, "Are you sure it's Saturday?" The barkeep pointed to the chalkboard with the daily special on it and said, "The board don't lie. It's Saturday and today's special is miso ramen." Naruto smiled a bit and said, "Have you got any more room on my tab for a few more bowls?" The barkeep smiled kindly and told him, "We always do." With that Naruto hopped up into his usual seat and ordered a bowl of the special. Maybe if his belly was full things wouldn't look so bad anymore. After all, he still had almost a week to master Bushin no Jutsu and two days to completely devote to it.