The First Steps
Naruto Uzumaki rubbed his eyes and peered up at the towering form of Kakashi Hatake, his teacher of the past six months. They had just returned from a mission that took them from Konoha to the Land of Waves, encountering missing-nin and shaking up the whole team. In the days following their return, Kakashi decided to work with each genin personally to ensure they were prepared for the upcoming Chūnin exams. Today had been Naruto's turn to endure the hells of survival training, six hours of fleeing from their porn-reading sensei while trying to retrieve painted rocks scattered around the forests outside the village. He collected three of the five stones and was rewarded with a quick lunch and nap.
"I hate to interrupt your beauty sleep, but the Hokage has summoned me for a meeting." Kakashi turned the page of his book. "It's been about two hours or so, so training is over with for today. However, can you deliver this to Sasuke?" The man pulled out a small letter from his flak jacket and held it out for Naruto.
"Sure thing, Kakashi-Sensei! Messenger Naruto is on the job!" The blond genin took the envelope and stuffed it in his pocket with a massive grin. He beamed as the Jonin gave one of his famous eye-smiles.
Kakashi patted him on the head. "And that's why you're my favorite." He disappeared in a swirl of leaves, leaving Naruto blushing and giggling at the praise.
Letter. Ichiraku. Bed.
With his evening planned out, Naruto adjusted his headband proudly and sprinted towards the village to deliver the letter first. He had never been to Sasuke's house. Still, He remembered hearing Sakura talking about its location on the edge of the old Uchiha Compound abandoned since the massacre. It took him over an hour to make his way across town, opting to take his time by walking instead of darting over the rooftops like normal. Kakashi never said how urgent the message was, so burning a few extra minutes seemed acceptable.
Dusk had arrived with a brilliant display of orange, azure, and violet hanging over Konoha as he stepped through the open gates leading to the abandoned home of the Uchiha Clan. Finding Sasuke's house should be easy, given that all of the buildings save Sasuke's were covered in plywood to prevent looting. He walked through the streets, trying not to imagine a swarm of ghosts appearing suddenly to drag him into the shadows. He wondered how anyone, even someone as moody as Sasuke, would live in such a place after everything terrible had happened. While his own apartment was kind of a shithole, it was far better than living alone in a compound home to one of the greatest mass murders in the history of the Elemental Nations. Luckily, he was able to spot a small home that looked somewhat lived in.
Naruto reached the front door and was about to knock when the soft melody of a koto sang into the twilight from the backyard. Curiosity got the better of him, and forgetting his mission, he climbed up one of the low stone walls surrounding the house's rear.
A girl about his age sat under an ancient oak tree with a beautifully designed koto in front of her on a small table. Her black hair touched her shoulders, smooth and straight as if made of silken thread. She wore a simple blue sundress with an orange floral pattern that stood out perfectly. Her equally lovely and sorrowful dark eyes remained focused on her instrument, protecting him from being spotted. Naruto watched her pluck each string gently, losing himself in the wordless song. Never in his life did a girl make him sweat like she did. Naruto forgot about his devotion to Sakura in the face of such an ethereal maiden.
"Who are you?" Naruto could not help but ask the question. He needed to know if what he saw was real or a figment of his imagination.
The song suddenly stopped as the girl's head darted up like a deer detecting a predator. Her coal-like eyes widened in surprise with undertones of horror. She did not move until Naruto took a step forward. The serenity of her face shattered into a squall of rage. With the speed of a trained Kunoichi, the girl jumped over the table, holding her instruments, and charged straight toward Naruto. Her flurry of punches and sweeping kicks drove him back to the wall, red eyes flaring with untold anger.
"I'm just here to deliver something to Sasuke," Naruto croaked, taking an elbow to the gut to avoid a more devastating blow to the face. He slid away from his attacker, leaping backward to put some distance between them. His hands scrambled to retrieve the letter from his pocket. Her eyes narrowed at the envelope, but she did not attack again.
With a heavy sigh, she marched towards him and took the letter. "Get out and never come back," she commanded in a low voice that promised violence if her orders weren't followed. Yet, something about the voice seemed oddly familiar.
"That's for Sasuke!" Naruto ignored the warning bells going off in his brain and tried to grab the letter. "Kakashi-Sensei wanted me to give it to him!"
"And I'll give it to him," she snarled through clenched teeth. "Get. Out." Despite the hostility, Naruto examined her delicate features up close. She reminded him of someone, but his mind came up blank. Was she a relative of Sasuke's? He thought that all the Uchiha, save Sasuke, had been killed.
Once again, the words escaped his mouth before reason could stop them. "You're pretty."
Her eyebrow twitched dangerously. The faintest hint of pink "Get the hell out, dope!"
Dope. Only one person in the village called him that. Sapphire eyes widened as the 'girl's' identity came to him. This was the second time he had made this mistake. "Sasuke?"
"Get. Out. NOW!"
The fight or flight response built into every human activated seconds after Sasuke's Sharingan came to life. He turned and jumped over the wall with chakra-enhanced speed. Confused at what had just happened, Naruto decided that only three bowls of ramen from Ichiraku would clear his mind enough to make sense of what had happened.
Kakashi decided to call his team together for sparring sessions that Friday before giving them the weekend to recover from training.
"This is going to be pretty simple today," the man did not bother looking up from his pornography. "Sasuke, Naruto. I want you two to spar like normal. Focus on taijutsu and avoid killing each other. Sakura, you're going to train with me directly. I'm not too happy with your close-quarter combat skills, so we'll cover the basics once more. We're wrapping this up by noon."
Naruto glanced at the brooding Sasuke, thinking about what had happened two nights ago. Much to his surprise, ramen did not give him the insight needed to understand why Sasuke was dressed like a girl nor why he found him…her…him so beautiful that night. The Uchiha's appearance now, standard spiked hair and his usual garb, did not give him the same response or feeling. That made him feel slightly better about everything. He did not want to join the Sasuke-fan club.
"Come on." Sasuke walked to the center of the training field. His typical cocky attitude seemed subdued somehow, and Naruto noted the lack of the usual 'dope' or 'loser' that served as the staple of their relationship. There was only one explanation: Sasuke was mad. Suddenly, training did not seem fun anymore.
Sasuke's attacks came without warning, forgoing the usual bow that signaled the start of a friendly spar. Each punch, jab, and kick were delivered with powerful precision to inflict as much pain as possible upon Naruto. The blond managed to hold his own for the first twenty minutes, evading the attacks with vulpine reflexes and landing a few lucky hits upon the Uchiha that did little to slow down the onslaught. The battle turned against Naruto as Sasuke's anger reached new heights, enabling the Sharingan to nullify any resistance. After a nasty blow to the throat, Naruto stumbled onto the ground gasping for air and praying that Kakashi would arrive to save him. Relief did not come.
The last loyal Uchiha straddled Naruto's waist, pinning him to the dirt and leaving his defenses wide open. Blow after blow, Sasuke slammed his fists into the whiskered face of his teammate without abandon. Bloody oozed from Naruto's nose and a busted lip. Naruto's pleas for mercy fell on deaf ears as the assault continued.
"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning," Kakashi's flat tone forced Sasuke to stop. "Get off him. That is enough."
Sasuke did as ordered and released Naruto from his clutches. He did not bother hiding the foul glare and scowl from either his teammate or teacher. Without a war, he turned away and began the long walk back to the village, ignoring the shrill pleas for Sakura to come back and join her for a date.
"You must have pissed him off pretty bad," Kakashi helped Naruto to his feet. "Sakura, you're dismissed for the day. I suggest you go to the library and pick up a book or two on taijutsu. Pick out two forms you would like to learn."
"Yes, sensei." Sakura glared at Naruto. "You made Sasuke-kun mad!"
"Dismissed, Sakura." Kakashi examined the wounds on Naruto's face. "Nothing too bad. Your 'tenant' will be able to patch you up in an hour or so, most likely. Tell me what happened."
"We just got a little out of hand, ya know?" Naruto chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. "Sasuke just must have been in a bad mood or something and wanted to take it out on someone. I rather he does it to me instead of Sakura, ya know?"
Kakashi nodded slowly, knowing that there was far more to the story. "Very well. I'll talk to Sasuke later today and remind him that sparring is not meant to injure comrades. Next time something like this happens, please call out for me."
Naruto smiled through the blood and pain covering his face. "Sure thing, Kakashi-Sensei." He hesitated for a moment, trying to figure out how best to ask his question without raising any questions. "Uh…what…should I do if a girl is mad at me?"
"Don't worry about Sakura. She'll get over you making her prince upset." Kakashi pulled out his favorite book, eager to start the weekend early.
"It's not about Sakura."
This caused Kakashi to return the book to his pocket immediately. "Oh? Did you find another young lady to chase after? My little boy is growing up so fast. What's her name?"
Naruto shook his head and held up his hands. "It is not like that! The whole thing is really complicated. She is mad at me for something I don't even know I did. How do I apologize?"
Kakashi rubbed his chin. "Hm. I suggest getting her flowers. Women tend to like things like that. Also, a stuffed animal is a good companion gift. She'll enjoy the flowers but will hold onto the animal if she likes you."
The idea seemed solid enough except for the fact that Naruto could not predict how Sasuke would react to such a gift. He needed to apologize somehow to his teammate without risking another beating. Images of the orange flowers on her dress popped into his mind. "Thanks for the help, Kakashi-Sensei! That's why you're my favorite!"
Without wasting a moment, Naruto sprinted towards the Yamanaka Flower shop with a massive grin. Ino stood behind the counter with a magazine opened on her lap. "Welcome! Please let me know if there is anything you…what do you want, Naruto?"
"I need flowers for a girl." Naruto walked up to the counter and smiled. "Something orange!"
Ino did not bother looking up from her magazine. "Sakura will just throw them away. Save your money for ramen or something."
"But these aren't for Sakura." Naruto rubbed the back of his head as Ino stared at him with a shocked expression. "They're for someone else."
Her mood shifted from apathetic to friendly within a heartbeat. Abandoning her magazine, Ino took out a small book with her clan symbol. "Now, that is the first piece of good news I've heard all day. What type of flowers does she like? You mentioned orange."
"I don't really know what type of flowers they like." Naruto looked around at the different bundles on display, trying to find something that reminded him of the flowers on Sasuke's dress. "What about these?"
"Emperor Tulips," Ino walked around the counter and opened the glass case. "Tulips represent perfect love. When orange, they are used to express hidden love. It is a very romantic choice."
Naruto paused at the explanation. He did not want to misrepresent his attention by giving the wrong type of flowers, but the tulips were the closest thing to the flowers on the dress. The thought of Sasuke thinking he was in love with him was almost too much to take. However, the flowers had to be the ones Sasuke liked.
"I'll take a bouquet," his eyes drifted to the stuffed animals on the shelves behind the counter. Teddy bears seemed far too cliché, and Sasuke did not seem to be the type to be interested in kittens. "Do you have any foxes?"
Ino's smile doubled in size. "Flowers and a stuffed animal? You have changed since becoming a genin. I'm almost jealous of this girl. Let me check in the back." She disappeared into the shop's storage area and returned with an old-looking box ten minutes later. "You're in luck. Someone had special ordered one long ago, and daddy never threw it away." She scanned the name on the box and whistled. "Apparently, Kushina is about fourteen years late in receiving this."
"How much is it all?" Naruto removed Gama-chan from his belt pouch and opened the frog's mouth.
"Hm. The fox doesn't have a price tag, so I'll throw it in for free. The flowers will be sixty Ryo, please!" She processed the truncation on the register. "Give her hell, loverboy." Naruto bolted out of the shop with the flowers and stuffed fox. "If only Sasuke did something like that for me." With a heavy sigh, she returned to her magazine.
Naruto decided on the way to Sasuke's house that giving them directly might provoke another negative response. It was clear that the Uchiha did not like people interrupting their private life, so he would ring the doorbell and leave the gifts on the doorstep for them along with a small note. Like the last visit, a kato's soft sounds echoed through the compound's empty streets, soothing the bitter memories of the massacre. His heart filled once more with that odd sensation, wishing to get a glimpse of the boy…girl…Sasuke on the other side of the wall. However, he needed to respect their wishes. He placed the flowers and stuffed fox on the doorstep before banging against the door and ringing the door build. The music stopped, and he was long gone when the door opened.
Missions resumed the following Monday morning, followed by personalized training after lunch.
Normalcy returned to Team Seven as Sasuke's mood improved considerably. The boy would still brood for hours, ignore Sakura's invitations to lunch, and mock Naruto. However, his delivery of such things seemed less harsh, with an air of amusement, especially when picking on Naruto. The blond genin found this all confusing but figured the flowers and fox worked in appeasing his wrathful teammate. Kakashi, pleased with his students' behavior, rewarded them accordingly. Sasuke received some scrolls of fire Jutsu, and Sakura got a few books on trap making. On the other hand, Naruto received a lesson in taijutsu from some strange man in green spandex.
Friday arrived, and Kakashi watched as his team quickly completed another D-rank mission. His book might have been open, but the Jonin observed his students interacting with one another like a team was supposed to. Of course, issues remained with them, but real progress had been made. The most significant improvement came from Sasuke and Naruto. While they still exchanged insults at every possible moment, he noted that the Uchiha smiled when calling Naruto an idiot or dope. Hell must have frozen over, and a part of Kakashi was tempted to investigate what happened after the spar. However, he preferred not to ruin a good moment.
Team Seven returned to the mission desk, reported to the Chūnin that the Inuzuka Kennels had been cleaned, and jogged towards their training ground to be dismissed for lunch. Kakashi examined the three tired genin and closed his book.
"Good job today, team." He circled them like a shark, ready to devour them. "Actually, terrific week. Each of you has surpassed my expectations. Take the rest of the day off and enjoy your weekend."
"Kick ass!" Naruto held his fist in the air. "We are the greatest!"
"We are pretty amazing," Sakura pushed a strand of pink hair from her face. "Nice job, Sasuke-kun!"
"Say, Naruto…want to grab a bite to eat with me? I'm in the mood for ramen." Sasuke leaned against the training post with his hands firmly in his pockets, looking away to avoid eye contact with anyone on his team.
Silence.
Kakashi's eye widened at the invitation. Sakura stared at Naruto with envy. Naruto just tilted his head to the side.
"My treat," Sasuke added when he did not receive a response.
That sensation entered Naruto's heart again, a flittering feeling that made breathing difficult. He suddenly felt nervous but took a deep breath to steel his nerves. "Sure thing, Sasuke. You don't have to pay for mine. The old man and Ayame gives me a discount!"
"Hn. I've never been to Ichiraku. You'll have to introduce me to them all, Naruto-kun." Sasuke walked alongside Naruto as the blond explained the history of ramen before getting into the many different flavors and add-ons available. Throughout it all, Sasuke smiled.
Sakura and Kakashi remained rooted as the boys' disappeared from sight. Both minds tried to understand the impossible reality they found themselves in. Sasuke Uchiha, the emotionally distant prince that girls could not get enough of, asked Naruto Uzumaki, village pariah and loathed by most, out to lunch. Kakashi tried to assume that this was some sort of brotherly bonding, a replacement for Itachi, but he saw the faintest tinge of pink on those fair cheeks.
"Looks like you have some unexpected competition," Kakashi looked down at the shocked and jealous genin.
"What do you mean?" She tilted her head to the side.
Kakashi waved. "Nevermind. Since those two are going to lunch, why do you join Anko and me for a quick bite?"
"Whose Anko?"
"Don't worry about it. She'll love you."
"Old man! I brought a friend today." Naruto pushed aside the curtain of the ramen stand and inhaled the wonderful, divine, pleasurable, and savory scents of the ramen cooking. The best part about Ichiraku wasn't the food or the discount but the people behind the counter. Teuchi, and his daughter Ayame, were the first true friends he made after the orphanage kicked him out. The Third Hokage decided to take him to the stand while a few masked shinobi cleaned up an abandoned apartment for him, introducing him to the father-daughter team. He still wondered why the pair liked him but vowed to stand by them no matter what.
"Welcome, Naruto! I was wondering when you would show up," Teuchi served a bowl to one of the other customers. "Usual today?"
"Sure thing! What do you want, Sasuke?" Naruto glanced at the suddenly shy Uchiha. He smiled and gestured for him to take a seat at the bar. "Come on. This place is wonderful. You'll love it."
Teuchi laughed and waved his ladle in a warm greeting that Sasuke was far from used to. "Any friend of Naruto's is a friend of mine. Take a look at our menu."
Sasuke sat next to Naruto and looked over the variety of ramen for sale. "Do you have anything with tomatoes?"
"Now that you mention it…." Teuchi rubbed his hands together. "Ayame! You're in charge of the front. Focus on Naruto's bowls while I take of this young man's order." He disappeared into the back of the stand, deep in thought.
"I know that look." Naruto watched as Ayame danced around the kitchen, stirring multiple pots and preparing meat on a small grill. "He is creating something special for you! You might have inspired a new item on the menu."
Sasuke frowned at the thought of being given special treatment. "He does not have to do that for me."
"Nonsense." Ayame placed Naruto's first bowl in front of him. "Anyone who is a friend of Naruto is a friend of us. Father enjoys creating art for those he cares about."
Cares about.
Sasuke held back a shudder at the word. How long had it been since someone actually told him something like that? Everyone, save Naruto and a few classmates, worshipped the ground he walked on. These people talked to him as if he was a close friend, an equal. He would have thought that it would make him upset or angry to be spoken to in such an informal manner. But instead, an unknown weight lifted itself from his shoulders, allowing him to relax and enjoy the moment.
"Then I suppose your father has a new regular." Sasuke requested a glass of water before turning his focus toward Naruto. "How are you doing on your training?"
Naruto slurped a long noddle into his mouth, letting the end dangle around and cover his faith in broth. "Pretty damn good. I got tree-walking down and have been sparring with this weirdo that wears green spandex."
"I don't know if you have much room to criticize what other people wear, given your own unique sense of fashion." Sasuke gestured to the horrid orange jumpsuit that Naruto always wore. "How many of those do you own?"
Naruto gasped and looked down at his outfit. "This is the pinnacle of shinobi wear."
"It's bright orange."
"So?"
"Dope." Sasuke smiled and looked down into his glass. He prayed that Naruto never stopped wearing orange. "If you need help training, don't hesitate to ask." He smiled at Naruto, who looked at him like a confused puppy. "What?"
"You have a pretty smile."
Sasuke coughed loudly at the compliment. Onyx eyes widened as he felt his cheeks heating up. His heart pounded against his chest, threatening to explode due to the pressure. While his fangirls and fanboys showered him with sweet words, Naruto's straightforward, genuine remark contained so much power.
"Ayame? I think there is something wrong with the water. He looks feverish." Naruto leaned forward and placed his hand against Sasuke's forehead. "He is really hot." The heat continued to build in Sasuke as Naruto's innocence destroyed his composure.
Like an angel sent by Amaterasu, Ayame arrived with a fresh bowl of ramen for the blond knucklehead. "Dig in. A boy like you needs to eat to get big and strong." She winked at Sasuke, who in turn nodded in appreciation.
Minutes later, Teuchi appeared with a unique red bowl with an orange swirl painted on the side. Faded gold letters spelled out 'Kushina' under the swirl. "Here we go! Tomato ramen. I've been playing around with something like this for a few months. Been waiting for the right taste tester to show up." He placed the bowl before Sasuke and added a sprinkle of cheese to the top. "Dig in!" The old man watched with beads of sweat rolling down his face as the Uchiha took the first bite. "Is it good?"
Sasuke smiled.
"Ayame! We have a new menu item. We'll call it 'The Sasuke Special' and market it as a ramen alternative. Think tomato soup combined with ramen." Teuchi laughed and wiped his forehead with a handkerchief.
Naruto beamed with unbridled glee. "Oh man! I'm going to have to try one tomorrow." He elbowed Sasuke. "Teuchi is going to make your name famous."
"My name is already known throughout Konoha, dope." Sasuke devoured the bowl quickly, almost as fast as Naruto. He watched as his teammate inhaled three more bowls of ramen. Luckily for the vast fortunes of the Uchiha Clan, Naruto refused to allow Sasuke to pay for him.
Naruto took a wad of bills from his froggy wallet and handed it to Ayame. "I'll cover this one, Sasuke. Maybe next time, I'll let you pay." He flashed one of those grins, foxy and noble to a fault. "Thanks for the company. It's always nice to have ramen with friends!"
Sasuke stepped out into the busy streets of Konoha, his typical mask returning as the waves of humanity passed. A part of him wanted nothing more than to stay in the small stand, conversing with Naruto, Ayame, and Teuchi. However, he needed to spend the afternoon studying the fire Jutsu scrolls given to him by Kakashi. Each day represented another chance to close the gap with Itachi. These little diversions with Naruto allowed him to rest, but he reminded himself to focus on the mission.
"Mind if I walk with you?" Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "We didn't get to talk much back in there, ya know?"
"Whatever, dope," Sasuke smirked and led towards the Uchiha compound. A few extra minutes wouldn't make that much difference in the end. "What else do you eat besides ramen?"
"Instant ramen!"
Sasuke rolled his eyes as Naruto chuckled. "I'm being serious."
Naruto scrunched his face at the question, taking nearly a minute to come up with an answer that did not involve noodles in a savory broth. "Red bean soup. If I had to eat anything in the world besides ramen, I would eat nothing but red bean soup."
"I was thinking something more like the main course." Of all the possible desserts, red bean soup was the one he could eat once in a while. "Though, red bean soup is pretty good."
"That's right! You don't like sweet stuff." Naruto quickened his pace to walk alongside him. "I remember you complaining that Sakura and Ino would always bring you chocolates."
Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "You remember that, and they don't? Incredible."
"Sure do! You also mentioned that if they gave you chocolate, a high percent dark chocolate would be best." He scratched his cheek. "Wonder why they never brought you any."
"Probably too busy crying from my rejection." Luckily, their schedules made Ino less of a headache and left only Sakura to test his patience.
Naruto smiled at the memories of the academy. While it had only been six months since graduation, the past month's events made it seem like a lifetime ago. A part of him missed the simplicity of academy life. Still, the adventures and training under Kakashi were far too much fun to even dream of going back to the boring lectures of Iruka.
The pair walked in silence, both lost in the presence of the other. "Gyutan," Naruto answered the original question with a soft smile. "Beef tongue. Gramps took me out one year for my birthday to a really nice restaurant when Ichiraku was undergoing repairs. He ordered Gyutan for me since I was too stupid to know what some dishes were. They brought it on a wooden plate with rice and pickled vegetables."
"I did not expect that," Sasuke made a note to remember the dish's name. "Thank you, Naruto, for coming with me today."
"I should be thanking you! It was your idea." Naruto yawned slightly as the gates of the Uchiha Compound appeared around the corner. "We should do this way more often."
Sasuke continued towards the gates but paused. "Yeah, we should. See you around, Naruto. Remember what I said. If you need any help training, don't hesitate to ask."
"You know, I might take you up on that offer!" Naruto beamed and flashed another one of his stupid grins. "Later!" With a giggle, he ran back into the village, leaving Sasuke alone with the stained memories of his home.
He shook his head and sprinted to the house he was staying in. "Not today. I will not think of any more of you today." Once inside, Sasuke took a deep breath and focused on the lunch with Naruto instead of the ghosts begging for justice. All he wanted was one day to forget about Itachi and the Uchiha. The scrolls could wait until tomorrow. Vengeance could wait until tomorrow. Today belonged to her.
It always began with a bath. The warm waters banished the dirt and stress of the day, soothing sore muscles and allowing his mind to find peace. He washed each strand of inky black hair to ensure all the styling gel was gone. Next, he used a variety of sweet soaps and lotions to leave a lingering scent of lavender and cinnamon. Once the waters had begun to cool, he climbed out and brushed his hair straight with a fine comb. He covered himself with a red bathrobe hanging by the door and went to his bedroom.
After finding a large cookbook left behind by his mother, Sasuke climbed onto the double-wide bed and settled into the pillows with a satisfied sigh. Then, he picked up the stuffed fox nestled in a den of pillows and placed it in his lap while the book was in front of him.
He became herself.
This story is dedicated to an anonymous reader who sent me a wonderful letter (message) about the first scene of the first chapter of 'Finding Ourselves'. May the journey forward be made ever so slightly easier with these words.
I was not planning on starting another story beyond 'Finding Ourselves' or 'A Fox's Life', but this is a special case. This will be significantly shorter most likely than compared to those two being about 40,000 words in total. Events will follow Canon to a certain point than diverge after the Chunin Exams. If I do not write a scene from the anime or manga, assume that it happened exactly. Thanks, and have a wonderful night everyone.