I liiiiiivvvvveeeeee! So sorry for the delay, this chapter isn't quite long but isn't quite short either…. Wait…. Actually it is short. Eh. Whatever. Here's the next installment of…

Orange and Lemons

He remembers it was snowing. The sky was dark and small round cottons of ice falling down the ground. He doesn't understand why people like winter. Everything was so white; everything was so cold. The trees looks dead, the animals are hiding and when the night comes or early morning, everything is so silent.

He remembers going out early once, the crunch of his feet at the snow echoes with clarity to his ears almost making him wince and shudder with no relations with the morning chill. He had looked around him once before he fled and shut himself at his apartment.

The world was silent and all is blanketed by snow. It looks empty and barren of life.

Cold

Empty

It makes him feel like he's alone. Like he's the only living thing left in earth. He curled to a ball and hid himself underneath his blanket, humming no particular tune as the sound bounce the walls and return to his ears. It was better he supposed, that while the world seem deaf and silent as his apartment, here he feels safe. At least when the wind blows through his broken windows he could cover himself, at least he wouldn't have to stare how everything around him seems nothing. He never liked winter it always makes him see things more than other seasons. Like how feels the same coldness of the outside creep inside his bones even if he was under his blanket, like how he hears his voice rebound and echo at the empty spaces standing out obnoxiously amidst the silence …

Because… in the end, everything remains the same.

………………

Naruto felt eyes boring down on him. He could hear sounds coming inside from the flower and Ino's voice speaking to a lower and older female voice. Intrigued and a little bit curious, he would have melded himself with the scenery to watch had the circumstances been different instead he remains his head stubbornly down looking at his old torn sandals, his hands clasped behind his back and his body in a form of almost complete submission. He hates it he realized as he waited.

He hates it more when someone who actually pays attention to you doesn't say anything. It makes him feel like a bug being examined.

And you amount more than that?

He flinched more from his thoughts rather from the warm large hand the rests on his shoulder. He reluctantly forced his eyes to meet the blond man, fully expecting the sight of flying fist hitting his face or cold angry eyes and a scowl. Instead what met his vision was a man with a kind face and a small smile on his lips saying two words.

"Thank you."

Those two words doing more damage to him mentally, he could feel his eyes widen in response as his thoughts went to a screeching halt.

He felt his brain shutting down, feels himself fade out of reality, feeling himself nodding dumbly at the question of the rather cheerful man he could not remember what.

It makes him think (or think that he's thinking seeing that he is in his current state of mental overload) that there is something definitely wrong in the world or this man. Ino's father has finally flipped because of the latest incident because clearly he's not acting as he should be. And Naruto found that fact is far more disturbing than the other facts he had discovered as he grew.

It simply isn't done. It is impossible. It simply goes against nature. It simply goes against all what is deemed proper in the world and Naruto wonders if the man had even bothered to realize that what he has done is considered a taboo to the rest of the adults.

"I expect you to visit if not tomorrow then anytime this week." The man chuckled. "If you don't then expect Ino to go hunting for you."

Hunting…

Naruto thought dimly as he nods his head numbly and left the rather strange adult. He imagined Ino coming for him with a jungle bolo at her hands bending on the ground at times looking for his tracks. Next thing he knew he was standing at a training ground staring at his feet regarding it with slight wonder as if surprised that it hadn't sank through the ground.

And here you thought when you got everything all figured out; something just comes around and messes everything up.

……………………………………………………….

Naruto found that while he doesn't find Ino's loud voice screaming his ear off likable, he does find that he is calmer that he could ever been than the last few days. He doesn't understand what's going in that head of hers as she insisted to continue on limping by his side, shooting glares at him, yelling at him yet follow him as he go nowhere in particular.

He paused and turned to her startling her out of her mid rant. "Does it hurt?" He peered down at he small feet. She suddenly pouted and Naruto felt a chill go through his spine for no apparent reason. She's smiling he noted but there is something distinctly different from this smile from all the rest he had seen from her so far. "Ino….-chan?" Naruto yelped and suddenly stiffened when Ino latched at his back, climbing on it. Getting the idea so far, Naruto sighed and grabbed hold of her legs as he carried her on his back. "You're evil you know that don't you?"

The blond girl merely smiled. "Noooooo…Fishcake's mean to make me walk."

"And pupiless is bossy." He muttered under his breath, wincing a little when she pulled some of his hair. "Don't call me that! Let's go to the park. I want to sit at the swings again." Ino wiggled impatiently behind him, Maybe I should just bring her back to her parents.

"Naruto-kuuuuunnnn!" She whined and tugged slightly at his hair again. "I wanna play! Let's play."

Once more Naruto finds himself in wonder that he's walking to the park's direction feeling oddly elated rather than annoyed. His scalp still aches though.

…………………….

"Mama said that I would go to the academy next year."

Eh?

Naruto stilled and almost got hit by the swing he was pushing. "You… you're going to start the academy soon?" He asked, his tone wavering a bit. He hoped that his dismay didn't sound through with his voice. "Un!" She replied cheerfully, he could practically feel the 10 thousand-watt grin radiating from her even with facing her moving back.

Oh dear… this is going to cause problems isn't it?

Naruto hesitated a bit, pushing her with less force than before. "Well, that is good." Not. The thought of Ino's loud bossy voice near him all day made him almost cringe. "Hmm…? You don't sound happy though." Her tone sounds awfully suspicious. He chuckled nervously that came out all too fake and awkward. "No, no. Why would you think that?" He slowed her down until she stopped. Ino made a non-committal noise at the back of her throat indicating that she would drop the matter for now. Naruto moved to the swing beside her and sat down.

"Hey, if you're in the academy now then that means you're my sempai right?" Curious pupiless blue eyes peered on him.

This isn't going to be good…

"So that means that you know more right?"

No… this is not going to happen… this is not going to…

"I guess…"

No. no. no. no. no…

Ino cast him a Cheshire grin, Naruto inwardly moaned. "You're going to help me right? Especially on hard things right." He turned his gaze down to his feet where it made uneasy circles on the ground. "I'm not really good at it Ino… I failed last year."

Why is this happening to me?

"But still!" She insisted, Naruto turned away. "You know more than I do!" She pouted. "I wanna go strong too! Don't you want to teach me?" Her bottom lip trembled. He shifted on his seat, uncomfortable. "It's not that Ino, it's just…"

I don't want to let them see you with me. I don't want them to hate you. I don't want you to hate me.

He glanced at her depressed state and tried to sound cheerful. "I…I… fine. I'm just not good at it okay and I might make mistakes. I might… hurt you." Ino brightened. "Really! Don't worry about me fishcake-sempai. I know that you won't really hurt me!"

Then, there's no helping it I guess. Just please, don't leave me Ino.

"Hehe…" She grinned happily, Naruto cast her a fleeting glance, a small sad smile on his face.

Gods, I'm such a whiny kid.

"Hey." He snapped out of musings when he saw her right in front of his face, standing. She scowled. "It's Ino- CHAN. Stupid fishcake." She grumbled, Naruto stuck out his tongue.

Later that night when Naruto got home, he opened the lights and sat down on his chair where scrolls and various notes lay in front of him on the table. Later that night, while Ino sleeps at her home, Naruto stayed awake and for the first time studied in earnest.