Author: Crystal the Demon-Touched
Title: Count the Stars
Disclaimer: I saw nothing, I know nothing, I own nothing.
~~~~~
Naruto slung his body over a fallen log, sighing as he ventured farther into the forest, leading him away from the life that he had known for so long. He had decided not to take a lot with him, some clothes and the money he'd been saving up for awhile. Pausing, he glanced back, catching a glimpse of the village through the trees.
"Have a nice life," he whispered, turning back around and striding forward, more convinced than ever that he had to leave. They would survive without him.
Just before nightfall, he stumbled into another village. The hustle and bustle of everyday life that Naruto had become so accustomed to welcomed him there. He smiled, taking a deep breath. He wove his way skillfully to the nearest inn, stepping with practice through the large crowds.
"One room please," he said to the innkeeper. The man nodded, taking Naruto's money and handing him a key. Naruto hurried up the stairs to his room, quickly unlocking the door and steeping inside. He dropped his bag on the floor, throwing himself on the bed, sighing into the mattress. He fell asleep listening to the muted sounds from below in the tavern.
~~~~~
He sat up and stretched, waking up to a new day. Calmly, he changed his clothes and made his way downstairs for some breakfast. He ordered an omelet and sat down at the counter beside another person who looked about his age. His hair was a spiky brown-red, and his eyes were sunken, too deep.
"Hi," Naruto started up a conversation cheerfully. "I'm Naruto, you are . . . ?" he asked. The boy looked at him calmly.
"Gaara."
"Pleased to meet you. Do you live here?" He asked.
"No, passing through," he murmured, voice soft, as if he never yelled.
"Me too, where you headed?"
"Nowhere, anywhere, everywhere," Gaara replied vaguely, his annoyance slightly waning in the face of Naruto's cheerfulness.
"Cool, I'm headed somewhere where I can be me," Naruto said, determined to make friends with the stoic boy.
"Why wouldn't you be able to be you anywhere?"
"Because some people don't like who I am inside and they shun me," Naruto replied, not letting his companion's questions faze him.
"Why do you care?"
"I don't know," Naruto's voice softened, eyes saddening. He was saved from saying anything else when his omelet appeared. He grinned, digging into the meal, subconsciously aware of a pair of eyes watching him eat.
The two boys continued to talk, their thoughts and feelings and beliefs conflicting in every way possible. Gaara refused to care what the world thought of him, while Naruto always worried about what people thought of him. But through their sharing of memories and thoughts and ideas, they did find one thing they did agree on, though neither was willing to go into much detail.
Love did not conquer all. They may not be smart, or very mature, but they knew this for a fact.
~~~~~
This story was originally meant to be a one-shot, but I got too many reviews saying to continue. So, hope you liked. I'll post the next chapter soon . . . hopefully. *Grins*
Crystal the Demon-Touched
Title: Count the Stars
Disclaimer: I saw nothing, I know nothing, I own nothing.
~~~~~
Naruto slung his body over a fallen log, sighing as he ventured farther into the forest, leading him away from the life that he had known for so long. He had decided not to take a lot with him, some clothes and the money he'd been saving up for awhile. Pausing, he glanced back, catching a glimpse of the village through the trees.
"Have a nice life," he whispered, turning back around and striding forward, more convinced than ever that he had to leave. They would survive without him.
Just before nightfall, he stumbled into another village. The hustle and bustle of everyday life that Naruto had become so accustomed to welcomed him there. He smiled, taking a deep breath. He wove his way skillfully to the nearest inn, stepping with practice through the large crowds.
"One room please," he said to the innkeeper. The man nodded, taking Naruto's money and handing him a key. Naruto hurried up the stairs to his room, quickly unlocking the door and steeping inside. He dropped his bag on the floor, throwing himself on the bed, sighing into the mattress. He fell asleep listening to the muted sounds from below in the tavern.
~~~~~
He sat up and stretched, waking up to a new day. Calmly, he changed his clothes and made his way downstairs for some breakfast. He ordered an omelet and sat down at the counter beside another person who looked about his age. His hair was a spiky brown-red, and his eyes were sunken, too deep.
"Hi," Naruto started up a conversation cheerfully. "I'm Naruto, you are . . . ?" he asked. The boy looked at him calmly.
"Gaara."
"Pleased to meet you. Do you live here?" He asked.
"No, passing through," he murmured, voice soft, as if he never yelled.
"Me too, where you headed?"
"Nowhere, anywhere, everywhere," Gaara replied vaguely, his annoyance slightly waning in the face of Naruto's cheerfulness.
"Cool, I'm headed somewhere where I can be me," Naruto said, determined to make friends with the stoic boy.
"Why wouldn't you be able to be you anywhere?"
"Because some people don't like who I am inside and they shun me," Naruto replied, not letting his companion's questions faze him.
"Why do you care?"
"I don't know," Naruto's voice softened, eyes saddening. He was saved from saying anything else when his omelet appeared. He grinned, digging into the meal, subconsciously aware of a pair of eyes watching him eat.
The two boys continued to talk, their thoughts and feelings and beliefs conflicting in every way possible. Gaara refused to care what the world thought of him, while Naruto always worried about what people thought of him. But through their sharing of memories and thoughts and ideas, they did find one thing they did agree on, though neither was willing to go into much detail.
Love did not conquer all. They may not be smart, or very mature, but they knew this for a fact.
~~~~~
This story was originally meant to be a one-shot, but I got too many reviews saying to continue. So, hope you liked. I'll post the next chapter soon . . . hopefully. *Grins*
Crystal the Demon-Touched