Do You Hate Me?
Title subject to change, rating PG13 to be on the safe side.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, I do own the plot of this story (for as far as there is one) and the extra characters I may or may not add.
Response to reviews at the bottom and be sure to read the A/N's.
Chapter 4 – Change of Plans:
Just when Temari thought that Naruto couldn't surprise her anymore he managed it anyway. First of all he defeated her brother, Gaara, then he brought back the so called genius who was the last survivor of the Uchiha clan and now she found out his favorite place in the whole world was a Ramen Bar?
"Hey, this isn't just a ramen bar; this is the Ichiraku Ramen Bar!" The blonde boy said energetically when he heard Temari muttering her thoughts. She glanced at Gaara and was surprised to see a genuine smile on his face. Things were getting stranger by the day since they crossed paths with Naruto, but he couldn't help but influence anyone who met him. Be it in a positive or negative way.
Before they went to Naruto's favorite spot, the hyperactive Genin showed them some sites in Konoha. Temari was in the village before but never stopped to admire the simple beauty that it radiated. The slight swaying of the trees and grass as the wind rolled by, the smells of various kinds of pretty flowers, the chirping of a cricket here and there, the coziness of slightly crammed together buildings and the hustle and bustle of the busy streets. It had a very calming effect if you only paused to let it all soak in. Her own village was beautiful in its own right but it seemed to pale in comparison to this. Yes, Temari would definitely like it here.
Her reverie was shattered when she was poked in the side. Looking down slightly, she saw a grinning Naruto looking up at her expectantly. "Hey, hey, what kind of ramen do you want?"
"Uhm, I don't know." She said quickly and took a step back from Naruto.
Naruto put a finger on his chin and looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well me and Gaara are taking pork. The old man said that it was especially good today." He said happily.
"I'll have that then." Temari said softly and looked at her brother again. He sat quietly on one of the stools and looked down at his ramen, a stark contrast with the ball of energy that was Naruto who was shouting for another bowl of Pork ramen for Temari and another for himself. She sat down next to Gaara, thanked the owner of Ichiraku when he put a bowl on the bar in front of her and began eating quietly like Gaara.
Naruto however had no sense of manners as he gobbled up his second bowl in record time. "Goof, iffen'f if?" He said with his mouth full. Gaara and Temari nodded. The blonde boy, having a stomach that was more or less like a black hole, had another seven bowls before Gaara and Temari finished theirs.
When they were all rather full with what they had eaten, in Naruto's case until he had no more money, Temari spoke up. "So where do you live Naruto?"
Naruto face faltered a bit. "Well I live close by, it's nothing special."
"I'd like to see it, I'm sure Gaara would too." Temari said, not noticing the change of moods Naruto went through.
Naruto nodded slightly and motioned them to follow them. They only had to walk a short way along the road at which the ramen bar was located. Finally Naruto turned to walk up a rickety staircase to a rather small and shabby looking apartment.
Temari raised an eyebrow. 'Does he really live here?' She thought.
Reaching the door Naruto pulled out a key out of his pocket and used it to open the lock and led them inside his house. The first thing Temari wondered was if some sort of struggle had happened here. No scratch that, a struggle between two bull elephants. Carefully avoiding all the junk and garments strewn everywhere and something that she couldn't identify she listened to Naruto as he gave them a tour.
"Well this is the living room and kitchen, that's the bathroom and that's my bedroom." Naruto explained and pointed at the various rooms.
"That's it?" Temari said rather bluntly.
Scratching the top of his head nervously, Naruto answered. "Uh, yeah, hehe."
Gaara had remained quiet during the whole affair and scanned his surroundings. He took notice of the yellowing wallpaper that started to peel off the walls in random places everywhere. Dirt and grime were all over the floor and some cases over the wall and various items haphazardly crammed into overfull cabinets. Finally he spoke up and what he said surprised Naruto and Temari very much and would undoubtedly piss off Kankuro if he was here. "You will move your possessions into our house and live there with us."
The people that happened to pass Naruto's house looked up when they heard a loud scream from two people. "WHAAAAAAAAT?!"
"My sister and I will be here tomorrow morning, Kankuro will be here as well." Said Gaara in his normal commanding tone. Ignoring Naruto as he sputtered a few protests he dragged Temari out of the house by her arm and left a very confused and shocked Naruto standing in his living room.
A lonely dark haired boy stood in a dark room, watching in shock as he saw his dead parents who were lying at his feet, their small river of blood a stark contrast on the pale wooden floorboard.
"Uwaa! Don't kill me!"
'You weakling!'
"You're not even worth killing foolish little brother."
'Why!'
"If you want to kill me, live miserably! Hate me! Survive through the ugliness. Run... Run... Run... Learn to survive."
"They were just a measuring stick to test myself."
"A measuring stick."
"Just a measuring stick..."
'AAAAAAARGH!!!'
The boy gripped his head and screamed as he relived the memories. The memories of the day his life changed. The day he had been forced to become an Avenger. He had to avenge his clan. His father... His mother... Oh how he missed them so terribly. His brother had to pay; his brother would die by his hands. But why was he still so weak? Why was he beaten by a dead last? Where did true power come from? Dropping on his knees he relived that day again. He had to find out, he just had to.
'Damnit! Why is he always around me when I don't need him but when I have to find him he's nowhere to be found?!' Thought Sakura angrily as she was looking for a specific boy. She had made a promise to herself when she was in Sasuke's room. She wouldn't rely on the two boys from her team to protect her anymore; she would become a powerful Kunoichi in her own right. On top of that she was very confused when she figured out that she started to stop liking the boy on which she had a crush for so long. She still didn't like that loudmouthed Naruto in that way though but she was resolved to at least thank him for fulfilling his promise to her, it was the least she could do.
'Bah I shouldn't be thinking about those two, I need to find him! Where could he be...?' Mentally slapping herself on the forehead she had a sudden epiphany. 'Of course! The training fields, where else?' And she walked towards the one place where she would undoubtedly find Konoha's self proclaimed beautiful green beast. When she arrived she wasn't disappointed, in the distance she saw Rock Lee standing with his sensei, Gai. Lee was dressed in his usual dark green one piece training outfit with his Konoha head protector tied around his waist. Gai was dressed in a similar fashion but wore a flak jacket that gave away his rank as Jounin. Of course they both still had that bowl haircut. As Sakura got closer she could hear the pep talk that Gai gave to Lee.
"All right Lee! We'll definitely make you stronger!"
"Yes sensei!"
Sakura couldn't help but smile at Lee's fighting spirit. Even having his left limbs destroyed and his spinal cord peppered with bone fragments didn't stop him from following his dream. 'This is exactly why I should ask him'
Gai and Lee turned their heads when they heard Sakura running towards them.
"Lee-kun! Gai-sensei!" She yelled and waved.
"Sakura-chan!" Lee exclaimed happily.
Gai smiled and nodded at the pink haired girl as she stopped running and doubled over panting. "Well, I'll leave you two alone shall I? And Lee! Don't forget your training!"
"Yes sensei!" Lee shouted and saluted to his idol.
After she saw Gai walk away, Sakura took another few moments to catch her breath. "Lee-kun, I need to ask you a favor."
Lee was ecstatic, visions of Sakura fawning over him as he performed various tasks flashed in his mind. "Of course Sakura-chan, anything for my angel!" The boy said while holding a fist in front of him and small flames burning in his black eyes. "For you I would slay countless foes! I would protect you from any harm!"
"Lee-kun..." Sakura started but was cut off by Lee's rambling"
"I would fight off a dragon to save you!"
"Lee-kun!"
"I would even wash all your dishes! I would..."
"LEE!!!" Sakura finally screamed.
"Wh-what?" Lee stammered, cowering slightly in fear. Sakura sighed, she expected this would happen but it was still a bit annoying. Cute, but annoying all the same. "Lee-kun, I just need you to train me."
To say Lee was surprised would have been the understatement of the century. Never in his wildest dreams did he expect this. His perfect Sakura-chan coming to him for training? Surely he must have misheard.
Sakura sensing this, bowed and slapped her palms together in front of her face. "Please train me Lee-kun!"
"I-I-I... W-well I..." Lee sputtered. "But w-why Sakura-chan?"
To his horror Sakura started sniffling. "I don't want anyone to save me anymore, I want to become stronger. I've always been told that I have perfect chakra control but have no stamina. Control means nothing if you don't have anything to control in the first place! So please, please train me!"
If Lee adored Sakura before, he now worshipped her completely. He understood her desire to become stronger; it was his dream after all. He looked at the object of his affection, this beautiful pink haired girl with her charmingly large forehead. Even if it cost him all the time of his life he would fulfill her desire. "Ok Sakura-chan, let's both become stronger!" Lee shouted and punched his right fist into the air.
Sakura jumped up happily and punched her own right fist in the air like Lee. "Yes!"
The next morning found a loud knocking waking up Naruto who banged his head on an overhead shelf in surprise. He rolled over to his side to look bleary- eyed at the alarm-clock on his bedside cabinet. 'Seven in the morning, what the hell?' Another chorus of impatient knocking on his front door caused Naruto to groan. "Go away! It's too early!" Whoever it was, he or she would have to wait and Naruto snuggled back inside the warm comfort of his blanket. Not hearing anything after a few moments Naruto fell asleep again. Only to be brutally re-awakened when his front door was broken down, revealing a very miffed Temari and Kankuro.
"You little brat get up now! It's already embarrassing you're going to live in my house but I have to carry your damn things as well!" Kankuro yelled when he stepped inside Naruto's and saw the blonde boy lying in his bed. The puppet-user seemed to have taken the news of Naruto living in house rather badly because he then grabbed the boy by the scruff of his neck and dumped him on the floor. Temari, watching this little scene unfold, couldn't help but stifle a giggle when she saw Naruto clutching what seemed to be a plush toy in the shape of a frog.
'Giggle? Temari doesn't giggle.' Kankuro thought. "Are you alright Temari?" He asked as he watched her apprehensively. Temari scowled and slapped her brother across the back of her head. "Of course I am you idiot."
'Now that's the Temari I know' Kankuro thought as he rubbed the now sore spot on his head but he was wise enough not to say it out loud. He shuddered as he remembered the window incident from yesterday.
"Hah! You fat-ass, getting slapped around by a girl?" Naruto laughed, unwittingly bringing a mental 'I'm doomed' sign above his head.
"What is that supposed to mean you little twerp!" Temari screeched and stalked towards the blonde boy. Just when she raised a fist to punch the living daylights out of him she was stopped by another voice.
"Temari stop. We are here to pick up his things."
Snorting, Temari turned away from Naruto. "Alright Gaara." Even though her red-haired brother had changed for the better, he still had the uncanny ability to order his siblings around and that they wouldn't complain if he did so.
Naruto looked at them with a slightly bemused expression. The full weight of the realization that he was really going to live with them hadn't hit him yet. He asked them if they could wait in the living room and changed into his normal day to day clothes. Zipping up his orange jacket he stepped outside his room and found the three siblings already gathering his things in various boxes they had brought with them.
"Damn you little brat, did you ever clean here?" Kankuro grumbled as he examined a plate with a vile spongy substance on it.
Naruto thought for a moment. "Nope, guess I didn't bother with it that much!"
Temari looked at him with an unbelieving expression. "How the hell did you manage to survive in this death trap for all these years?!"
"I don't know I just did. It's not like I had a choice." Naruto said and shrugged.
When she saw the pain hidden behind Naruto's blue eyes she didn't press any further. "Well let's just pack your things so we can get home and eat some breakfast."
Naruto's face brightened at the mention of the word 'breakfast', nothing could lift his spirits like a huge amount of food. "Alright!" He shouted and hurriedly and haphazardly threw his possessions into the boxes.
While the three boys were busy in the living room and kitchen, Temari went to Naruto's bedroom. A few moments passed as she surveyed the absolute mess that was Naruto's room. Sighing she started to dump his things en masse into the box she brought into the room.
With the box full she looked around again to see if she had missed anything and her eyes fell on a calendar pinned to the wall. Grabbing it she noticed a date encircled by a red marker. 'October tenth... Naruto's birthday?' She thought when she saw a small line under the date saying; "My birthday! Thirteen at last!" 'But that's next week. I didn't know...' Normally this wouldn't have affected Temari, but she wanted to thank Naruto properly for what he had done. What better way than giving a birthday party and handing him a gift?
Nodding to herself she stuffed the calendar with the rest of Naruto's things and walked back into the living room. There she saw that the three boys had already finished packing Naruto's meager possessions. One box was full with the blonde boy's clothes, one box with various scrolls and kitchenware and Temari had the box with the things from Naruto's bedroom.
"Well that's it I guess." Naruto said and took a last look at the house where he had lived for as long as he remembered. Seeing it empty, Naruto truly understood he was going to live somewhere else. On one hand he was sad for no other reason than losing his familiar surroundings but on the other hand he was very happy that he was finally going to live somewhere with people that seemed to care about him. Well he wasn't sure about Kankuro, but Gaara and Temari did for as far as he knew. With a wide grin he looked at the three siblings and saw them looking back expectantly. "Let's go! I want to eat!"
A/N: Well here's chapter four. Sorry it took so long but I recently got a beta reader and I sent him this chapter to look over. He said he was going to send it two days ago but I don't know what happened. So here it is, I looked it over again and fixed some stuff here and there. Hopefully it'll be enough to please all of you.
As I'm sure all of you have already noticed, I picked the pairing for Naruto. And if you didn't notice I advise you to re-read the chapters :P
Next up: Naruto's Birthday Party? A talk between Kakashi and Tsunade, what will happen with Sasuke and who is the other character I'll introduce? Finally a visit to the hospital and of course Naruto's birthday party. Who will visit and will Naruto get a kiss? Uh-oh. I hope you'll all keep reading because we're in for a wild ride :)
Now on the response to the reviews!
sanchez: Thanks! Well here it is!
Licht Sieger: Thanks for the review. I'm sorry to say but you're wrong :P
Morgri: Well as you might have noticed the obvious pairing I hope you won't be disappointed and will keep reading the story. Maybe in the future I'll create a story with the pairing you want. Thanks for the review!
Sirius183: Well here it finally is, sorry it took so long. Thanks for the review!
RukaIayLomperGay: Well I have no intention of stopping so I'll keep going. I'll wait for response of my beta before I start looking for another one. Thanks for the review!
N.C.C.: Thanks and here it is! :)
Well that's it for now, please review. If you have any suggestions on how to make it better it's highly appreciated. I've already started on chapter five so it won't take as long as this one.