The Way Of The Ninja Isn't Always What It's Cracked Up To Be

Chapter One: To Be A Ninja

Chapter One: To Be A Ninja

The way of the ninja isn't always what it's cracked up to be. I've proven that many times. People always think of me as the annoying wannabe ninja. Or as the one who always screws up. Believe it. People can be so cruel sometimes. In the academy, I've failed many times. People always say I screw around too much, and that's why I fail.

This year is my last chance. I failed about five times, and I'm tired of getting the cold shoulder all the time. Everyone always looked at me with such cold eyes. And I still don't know why. I have no friends at the academy, and I never did. I hope this year can be different. But I love to get in trouble. It's the only way anyone ever notices me. But one day when I become Hokage, everyone will notice me, and I'll finally get the respect I deserve.

"Hokage-sama, Naruto's at it again!" Iruka-sensei said. "Why must he always do this?" The Hokage answered back. "I don't know, but I sure am tired of it. This time, he's drawn on all the walls reading: 'Respect me! Naruto Uzumaki! Believe it!' It's getting so annoying." Iruka-sensei cried.

"Go get him, and give him punishment 112." Hokage-kun said, leaving Iruka stunned. "I don't mean to sound like a child, Hokage-san, but why does he have to be in MY class AGAIN? Can't he be in someone else's class this year?" Iruka pleaded. "Just wait, Iruka. Just wait." Hokage answered. "Hai…" Iruka sighed. With that being said, he sped off to catch Naruto in the scene of the crime.

He found Naruto's writing on more walls then before, and started to get even more pissed. 'Why today? Of all days when class just HAS to start tomorrow…' Iruka thought. He ran to another place that he thought the academy student might strike next, and what do you know. There he was, painting his warning onto the wall with a can of spray paint. Typical Naruto…

"Naruto?" The boy froze. 'Crap. I'm caught again…' Naruto thought. He dropped the can and ran for his life. Okay, not really his life, but you know what I mean… 'I have to get away… but where to go where he won't be able to find me…' The young student thought to himself. 'I need to hide somewhere… Somewhere he would never look… That's it! The Academy! Iruka-sensei knows how much I hate it, so why would he look there?'

As Naruto ran towards the academy, Konohamaru came out of nowhere. "Boss!" He said. "Not now Konohamaru! Later!" Naruto said as he fled from the boy. "BOSS!" Konohamaru tried to run after him, but couldn't, resulting in a sigh of defeat.

Naruto finally reached the academy, and much to his surprise, when he opened the door to go inside the classroom, a girl was there to meet him. Not just any girl, though. A special girl, one he had not met before, but could've sworn he'd seen her somewhere. 'Who is she?' He thought. He started to like her.

"Higurashi Ana-ki is the name, and I'm here to help you out. I know you're in some kind of trouble, as always, and figured you disserve a chance. I'll help you hide where Iruka won't find you. Now come." No questions were asked. The girl named Ana-ki just took his hand and started to run.

Naruto had no clue where he was going, but kept running anyway. He knew he could trust this girl, even if he didn't know her. She ran into a house located inside an unknown forest. Naruto had no clue where he was, but she did. Ana-ki was inside of her forest. Inside her house.

He didn't care at the moment where he was; he just wanted to make sure the teacher would not find him. "Here we are, Uzumaki Naruto." Ana-ki said. "How'd you know my name? Where are we?" Naruto asked. Always asking the obvious. "Number one, I know all about you and am quite fond of you, and Number two, my house in my forest that no one knows about. You must keep this area a secret, okay?" "Hai." Ana-ki continued.

"I know a lot about you Naruto. Your always getting in trouble so people can notice you. You want to become Hokage one day, and you absolutely love ramen. You are very out going, and everyone always stares at you with such a cold eye, it sends shivers up your spine. Did I miss anything?"

"How do you know all that?" Naruto stupidly asked. "Well, not to brag or anything, but I can use telepathy, read minds, and see things that are happening now, in the past, or even the future. I have a crystal ball, like the Hokage, but I don't use it a lot. I'd rather use my mind to do all the work." She answered.

"Wow!" "Yeah. And I watch you a lot because you are way more entertaining then my life or anything else I do…" Ana-ki said. She looked down at the floor, feeling kind of ashamed. "Gomen…" She whispered. "Nani?" Naruto asked. "Gomen." She spoke louder, her voice becoming fierce.

"Dosh de? Why are you apologizing? Ana-ki? Answer me!" Naruto started to get worried. She wouldn't answer him. He went silent. He could hear sobbing. But from who? Ana-ki. That's who. She was crying. But why? What could make her so upset?

"What's wrong, Ana-ki? Why are you crying?" Naruto asked the sobbing girl. She tried to answer between sobs. "I… I've been watching you for so long… watching you in pain all this time. Having no one to care for, and no one who cares for you. I feel so bad for you, and I feel so ashamed. I know why your life is so miserable, but yet, it's against the rules to say it."

"You know why my life has been so bad? Why everyone gives me a cold stare? Why everyone rejects me? Please, Higurashi-sama, tell me why this is so." Naruto looked her hard in the face. She answered soon after. "H-Hai… I know I will get in big trouble for this, but maybe if I do tell you your life will be better. But just so you know, if you ever need help, blow this whistle. Only I can hear it, and I will come running if I do. I want to be your friend. And I always will be. I will protect you no matter what." Ana-ki handed him the whistle.

"You know what happened twelve years ago, right?" "Hai." Naruto answered. "Well, Naruto-san, do you know what the fourth Hokage did to conquer the nine-tailed fox?" Ana-ki asked. "No, no one ever told me. I just know he conquered it. He is my hero, you know, but I never knew what he did to save the village and seal the beast." Naruto said in response. "H-He sealed the beast inside you." Ana-ki said a bit on the fast side.

"Then, why didn't you run away from me like everyone else instead of helping me like you did?" 'God, and I thought my life was screwed up before, this just screws it up even more…' He thought afterwards. "Because… because I'm not everyone else. When I saw the past of that day… I felt so bad for you. I wanted to help you. I saw everyone ignoring you, and giving you the cold shoulder, so I wanted to help. I wanted to be your friend." With that, she left the house, to sit in a near by Sakura Tree to keep lookout.

Naruto came out looking for her soon after. He found her in the tree in about five seconds flat. "Arigatou, Ana-ki-neechan. Arigatou." Naruto said trying to look her in the eyes. He could not believe someone cared so much for him. With that being said, done, and out of the way, he turned her head towards him with his hands cupping her cheeks, and gave her a kiss. "You're the best, Higurashi-sama. The best." Naruto then left, leaving Ana-ki astonished.

Naruto ran into the house, waiting on her bed in the bedroom. He had forgotten the reason he was here, but now, he didn't care. The only thing that mattered was his friend.

"Naruto, where are you?" Iruka asked the sky. He had tried the ramen shop, Naruto's house, the academy (no luck there; he came in way after Naruto and Ana-ki left there), and even his own house! Why'd he check his own house? Because! Maybe Naruto thought that he would be stupid and never look there…
"Naruto… Arigatou. And, you're welcome. I want to go to school with you. Live with you. Learn more about you. I want to be with you always, to protect you, to be yours." She walked closer to him. He backed up on the bed a bit, hitting the wall. "Don't be scared Naruto. I'm not going to do anything to you. I just want to be near you." She sat down next to him. She gave him a hug as well.

"I love you Naruto Uzumaki. I love you."

Naruto was astonished at this gesture. He couldn't make heads or tails of it. No one had ever loved him before. He didn't know what to do about it. Should he say something? What should he do?

Whoa. What's this feeling? I feel… happy. But not normal happy. Like… some sort of feeling I've never felt before. Is this what love feels like? To feel like I belong? Well, if that's what it is, I love this feeling!

"Ana-ki-neechan…" He started to hold her in his arms. He leaned against the wall, still sitting on the bed I might add, holding her close. He said her name so gently, so soft… "Ana-ki-neechan… No one… ever said something so sweet like that to me before… I've never been loved, and never had loved anything or anyone before…" He closed his eyes to think of everything he had been through.

She closed her eyes as well. She took in his sent. Then she opened her eyes again to the sound of the boy's voice. "I love you too, Ana-ki Higurashi. I really do." With that, he turned her head gently to face his, and gave her a kiss on the lips. "Thanks for everything. And I mean it."