Chapter 11: Are you Jealous?
His routine has been the same ever since his resumption of the Hokage position. Wake up. Not getting anywhere near his doctors recommended amount of sleep. Glance at the picture of his late wife. Start heating some hot water for his morning tea. Put some rice in the cooker to eat. Head to the sink to wash his face and wake up his mind with a quick newspaper game.
When his water finally reaches the correct temperature, he pours. He enjoys the morning sun as it spreads its light over his village. He reviews some of the notes from his previous days work. A couple of missions coming in from a few of the surrounding small villages and a guard mission for a trade envoy.
He changes from his bedwear to his formal Hokage wear and hears his rice cooker beep. He returns to his kitchen to have a small breakfast of rice and natto. If I can't get the doctor prescribed sleep, I'll at least have the doctor prescribed breakfast, he thinks to himself.
Giving a quick rinse of the dishes and chopsticks, he heads out of his dwelling to the Hokage building. This is one of his favorite times of the day. The morning activities of Konoha residents softly remembering what he fights for. This peace. Tranquility. Small children who do not know the terror of war.
"Well, off to work?"
Naruto? What is he doing up so early? Hiruzen thinks to himself. He looks down at Naruto and before he can get a word in, Naruto continues.
"Too bad. I'm on summer vacation. Soooooo, I get to do whatever I want."
Hiruzen closes his mouth again and exhales.
"In fact. I think I'll have ramen for breakfast. I love having whatever I want for breakfast. Yeah, maybe Ichiraku's is open right now! See you later old man!" Naruto runs off in the general direction of his beloved restaurant.
Hiruzen chuckles. Small victories. It's not open until 11:30. Though, maybe a treat for lunch wouldn't hurt.
Once Naruto reached the small ramen shop, he was disappointed it was still closed. But it was short lived as he is now walking to his favorite breakfast place. He discovered it recently on his exploration through the downtown area. Its only open at certain hours of the day and he isn't usually in this part of the village this early. It's a small food cart that specializes in rice balls. Originally, it was the smell that brought him to it, but the owner was closing at the time so he promised himself and the owner that we would return the next day.
Naruto sights the onigiri food cart and makes a mad dash to it. Puffing his chest, he puts one finger up and says to the owner, "I'll have one salmon rice ball with mayo." Puts up a second finger. "And one tuna rice ball."
The owner repeats, "One salmon rice ball with may and one tuna rice ball."
Naruto pays the owner while waiting for his rice balls. Trying to make a bit of small talk, the owner asks Naruto "Any plans for this beautiful summer day?"
Naruto smiles devilishly. "YES! I have the perfect prank! He won't suspect a thing!" Naruto is getting more and more excited thinking about it.
Having heard from some of the kid's previous hijinks, "Who is it at?"
Naruto quickly turns his head back and forth. "No, no, no, no. I can't tell anyone. But trust me. He deserves it. In fact, the prank involves something similar to this rice ball."
Naruto runs back to his apartment. Opening the door, he gets pounced on by his companion fox. "I smell tuna."
"Today is the day."
That gets Kurama's attention. "The big one?"
"The big one." Naruto confirms.
The big one you might ask? Let it be known once more. When Naruto plans a prank, he plans a prank. This one has been months in the making. It started shortly after the snow day. He wanted to see if you keep snow in a freezer. Unfortunately, it just turned into an ice ball. Mission failed. With trial and error, he was able to keep a snowball in the freezer for an extended period of time.
During that extended period of time, Naruto improved his accuracy at throwing objects. His kunai and shuriken throwing skills increased tremendously. Iruka-sensei had taken him out to eat three times last semester. THREE TIMES! But that was just part one and two of his plan.
The third part was even more crucial. Reconnaissance. This was why Naruto waited until the second week of summer vacation. His behavior was making no sense to poor Yugao Uzuki. She, once again, has observed Naruto for the past week. Anbu guarding shifts of the jinchuriki have lessened quite a bit but they still get into the rotation during summer break of the academy due to the extra free time and Naruto's characteristic to explore. Can't have him getting lost and picked up by enemies.
What is he up to?! She was losing her mind. Naruto has been doing nothing but stalking that Uchiha kid in his class. He brings a small book and a watch. Notes the kid's schedule. Which unfortunately means that Yugao has been stalking Itachi for the passed week as well.
"What is he up to?" Her shoulders jump slightly at the voice right next to her ear. Turning to her side, its Kakashi.
"How am I supposed to know what goes through his head?" She angerly whispers back.
Kakashi coughs. "Causeitsyourjob." Kakashi coughs again. "Sorry, something in my throat."
"There are many things I'd like to say to you in response." Yugao states in a dry and steady tone.
Keeping an upbeat spirit, "How about you tell me what he's been doing for the past few days?"
"This. This is all he has been doing besides eating and cleaning."
She starts counting on her fingers. "Wake up. Find Sasuke. Eat lunch. Find Sasuke. Eat a snack. Find Sasuke. Eat dinner. Find Sasuke."
"Oh. So that's who its for." Kakashi hums. Sensing a confused Yugao he expands. "As you know we an apartment check every other month to make sure everything is fine. Making sure he is eating right because I doubt anyone has taught him anything about nutrition and what a growing boy needs to eat. In his freezer was a perfectly preserved snowball."
"How much longer then?" If she's invested this much time into watching the kid, she wants to see the payoff then.
"You said it's been 'bout a week? Shouldn't be more than a couple of days then."
Kurama smiles back, "Finally, the big one" and takes a bite out of his tuna rice ball.
Naruto gets a cooler from his closet. "Timing is critical. At 9:10, Sasuke is walking with his older brother to get breakfast at the market."
Kurama then flips the table on its side to reveal a detailed map of Konoha. "They have always taken a direct route from the Uchiha compound. At 9:11, they leave the compound gates."
Naruto, with cooler in hand, points to the map. "Here will be the ambush spot. They will pass by this shoe store at 9:13. As discussed, this place offers a small alley to hide in."
"I still think we should ambush him here at the gate as we know for sure he will be there." Kurama replies.
"And I think you're a nincompoop." Naruto walks to the freezer for the ice and snowball.
"Rock, scissors, paper?" Kurama questions.
"Nincompoop." Naruto gets ice out of the freezer and puts it in the cooler.
"Rock, scissors, paper." Kurama says.
"Nincompoop." Naruto puts a cloth over the ice and puts the snowball in.
"Rock, scissors, paper." Kurama emphasizes.
"Fine. Rockscissorspaper, shoot! Paper wins." Kurama was still doing the rock motion when Naruto already has paper in hand.
Kurama folds his arms.
"Still don't agree with this position." Kurama says while hiding in the alley.
"Shush, they're coming this way. I see them." Naruto opens the cooler with the perfectly preserved snowball.
As the duo pass the shoe store and the alley, Naruto walks out with his hands getting colder by the second. But also getting wet. Risking more noise for speed, Naruto hurries up a bit.
"Hey SASUKE!"
Sasuke stumbles a bit. He feels his back getting hit by something and getting really cold. Turning around he sees a laughing Naruto and his feet getting cold too. He looks down and sees….snow?
When he looks up again Naruto is already running away.
"I believe Naruto just hit you with a snowball." Itachi says to his younger brother.
Sasuke is just dumbfounded. How had that happened. He is the top rank of the class. He is supposed to be the best. How had that idiot hit him with a snowball in the middle of summer! And most importantly, "Why didn't you warn me?" He asks Itachi.
"I thought you heard him coming?" Sasuke pouts some more at that response. "He had been watching us for the past week too." That makes Sasuke's eyes wide.
The thrift store is becoming Naruto's favorite store. His favorite restaurant has been and will always be Ichiraku ramen, hence the designation of 'store.' Today's haul is a wagon, shoes with wheels on them, and, oh, what had the old man say it was, a music box? It came with a disc that played music. Don't ask Naruto how. The wagon came in handy when he went fishing, he didn't have to carry his gear anymore. Naruto has a note on the wagon as well should anyone try to take it.
Today, the wagon is being used for a…let's say a promising business venture. Kurama is in the wagon at the top of a hill. He has the handle, which is usually being pulled, in his hands. Down at the bottom of the hill is a pond with a small dock.
Kurama, still a little apprehensive about the whole idea, "Do you think this will work?"
Naruto. Rope attached from around his hip to the end of the wagon. Umbrella in his hand. Wheelie shoes on his feet. Determined look on his face. "Of course. Let's go!"
Kurama starts shimmying back and forth to start moving the wagon. It starts at a crawl as it moves down from the top.
It picks up speed. Naruto opens his umbrella.
It's getting faster and faster. The handle is shaking in Kurama's hands. Naruto is bouncing up and down barely able to keep from falling over.
Kurama tries to stay on course for the small wooden pier. It seemed so simple 15 seconds ago but they are at ludicrous speed now. He dares not look behind him. Naruto is barely keeping it together. Various grunts and 'oofs' are shouted.
They approach the dock, somehow. The bumpity of the wagon moving along the earth is replaced by the staccato of the wagon moving along wooden planks. The second sound of rollers going across wood signifying Naruto is still upright. Kurama closes his eyes as he plunges into the water.
"LOOK. I'M FLYING!" Naruto proudly shouts.
Both are now treading water in the small pond. Kurama asks Naruto, "I had my eyes shut. How was it?"
"Great! What an exciting ride. Let's get some other kids and charge em!" They swim towards the dock and get out of the water. Naruto stays in the water and with a bit of effort they get the wagon out of the pond.
"You ready?" Naruto says as he puts on his 'cool' sunglasses.
"Yeah. The Hokage recommended this record. Something about swing music?"
"You have the instructions on how to use this record player?" Naruto asked. When he bought the thing, he had no idea how to use it so he asked the smartest person he knew.
"Step one. Plug it in."
"That isn't written there doofus."
"Fine, fine. Step one. Set the record on the top and select 33 rpm. Hmm…33 rpm?"
"Ummm….. I see it. There is a 33 and some other settings." Naruto says.
Looking back at the instruction sheet Kurama continues, "Step two, set the needle on the outer edge grove."
"Putting the nee-" Naruto starts.
"Wait. Special note. Be extra careful not to scratch it. Place it down gently and smoothly."
Being extra careful, Naruto sets it down.
Music starts filling the apartment. Saxophones, trombones, and trumpets playing their melodies. A drum keeping a steady beat. Piano and string instruments starting the harmony. Naruto starts taping his feet to the rhythm. Kurama starts bobbing his head slightly side to side. Up and down.
As a woman's voice starts singing, Kurama and Naruto start moving around. Twisting and turning to the beat. Not a care in the world at this time of night.
Yes. The time of the day, is quite late into the night. And to save costs on building material, walls are fairly thin. So thin that there is a noise curfew for the building that started at sundown.
The landlady awakens. "Either I'm hearing 'April Showers' or I'm still dreaming."
Her husband, also awake, "First thing in the morning. I'm going to the Hokage."
