A Single Act of Kindness
Just a Moment
He had never had plans before.
Sure, when Hokage-jiji came every month to hand him his allowance, that was an event that was scheduled; the same date, time, and place every single month. However, it was never anything that Naruto himself had set, it always just was. A means of survival then a social visit.
Sometimes Hokage-jiji did chat with him, but he was a busy man, and sometimes he didn't even show up at all and send a Chuunin instead. And those visits were anything but social.
This however, was something him and Sasuke had planned. Sasuke had asked him if after school would be an ideal time for the both of them to meet.
Naruto had asked if they could meet an hour after school, at the campsite. He did not tell his new friend this, but" Naruto always made sure to go home right after school to get a bite to eat so he wouldn't be hungry since he did not eat during the day. He hoped the time change did not change his friend's mind to meet up with him.
It had not. Sasuke agreed to this.
So the three minutes it took for the ramen to finish, Naruto decided to try on his new Shinobi outfit. Hokage-jiji had given him a little extra money last month to buy one, stating that he had to be ready to go on missions once he became a Genin since he was planning to take the exam in a few days. Iruka-sensei rolled his eyes at him as asked the class who wanted to take the exams this year. To take the exam, you only had to be in the Academy for a year, although most people stayed for four years. He had been the only one in his class to write his name down, even Sasuke didn't want to take the exam.
If he could get out of the Academy and finally become a Shinobi, he knew things would be different for him. The village would start to respect him, and it was just the first step in many to become the Hokage.
He had made sure to get his outfit in a bigger size. He had no idea when he'd have money again to buy a new outfit, but he didn't expect how big his orange pants were on him. He had to fold them three times on the waist and twice at his ankles to make them look presentable, and the jacket hung off his shoulders and past his arms. Even if he folded up the sleeves, the extra fabric around his stomach would get in the way.
He looked like a three year old trying on adult clothing. Hopefully soon he would grow into them.
Sighing to himself, Naruto took off his new clothes and put them in a box and back into the closet. Walking back into his kitchen in his undershirt and boxers, Naruto sat down at the table in front of his ramen. Placing his palms together he closed his eyes, "Thank you for the food!"
Grabbing his chopsticks, Naruto hurried as he ate his food. He only had thirty minutes to meet Sasuke, and he didn't want to be late.
Sasuke didn't return home after he had agreed to meet with Uzumaki.
Instead, he had gone to the store. He knew he didn't know much about camping, but he knew that he would need a few things: A knife, a pot, cup, a fork, a spoon, cloth, compass, sleeping bag, a tent, and a new bag. Parts of him knew he should have waited for Uzumaki and ask him what else he needed but asking the blonde for any more help made him feel useless and idiotic. He'd see what the boy had and make a mental note to buy it in the future. He could survive one night with what he had.
At the cash register, the woman ringing up his supplies had not taken her eyes off him. She looked down at him with a pitiful look, she had recognized who he was, and it took everything in him to bite his tongue and look away from her as she finished. Why did they all have to look at him like that?
She had given him a discount, like that little bit of kindness would bring his parents back from the dead.
He had paid and walked out of the store, he would pack everything he bought outside the village and away from those looks.
Realizing that they had agreed to meet at his campsite and Sasuke didn't really remember where that was, he made his way to the trail where they had meet weeks before. Hopefully Uzumaki would come the same way to find him, and this time he'd make sure to know how to get there for the future.
Sitting down on the trail, Sasuke took his new supplies and neatly organized them into his new bag. It had almost felt like he was going out on his first mission, he had never camped before and it was his first time he'd sleep away from his bed.
He didn't know why he'd smile at the thought, but it was something new, something of a challenge, and it was the first time in a long time he had done something different then the normal routine.
"Sasuke, hiya!"
Looking up at his name, he saw Uzumaki walking up to him, a small bag swung against his shoulder. The blonde gave him a wave as he ran over to him.
Sasuke only grunted a response as the blonde made his way to him.
"I thought we'd meet at the campsite, ya know?"
Sasuke turned away, trying to find the right words he mumbled, "I've only be there once."
"Oh," He felt the blonde's smile at him and choose to ignore it, "It's this way, follow me!"
Naruto made sure to point out landmarks to Sasuke so he'd know how to get there in the future.
The blonde in some ways couldn't understand how stubborn the Uchiha was. Sure, he knew it was important to be strong and smart when being a Shinobi, but it was also important to learn and to ask questions. Learning new things was what made a Shinobi strong he thought; there was no way for one person to know everything (a bummer for the know-it-all and the best-student-in-their-class Sasuke, but this was a true fact), so learning was important.
That's why it made him feel a little bit special that Sasuke asked him to teach him how to cook.
"There are a bunch of trees right over here, all the branches and the leaves kind of look like a big hand to me, like it's waving at us! When you see the waving tree—that's the name I came up with—just duck under the thump and then you get into the clearing," Naruto ducked under the tree, waiting for Sasuke to follow him, "See, the campsite! I come here a lot so if you can't find me at home, the Academy, or at Ichiraku Ramen you can find me here, okay!"
"Sure," the boy set down his backpack on the ground. At this Naruto looked down at the backpack on the ground. It looked brand new, never used. He wondered what was in the bag and how much it had costed him to buy whatever was in. He thought of asking but instead decided not too. He didn't want to be rude, but he couldn't help to think to himself- Did normal children have the means to buy nice things like that for themselves?
He assumed that's what parents did to take care of the children, but Naruto didn't know for sure.
Looking back at Sasuke, who was not giving him a strange look, one of impatience and annoyance, Naruto realized something that never crossed his mind before.
It had to be hard to have parents one day and then the next day not to have them.
He wondered what that was like.
Uzumaki's eyes were glancing back and forth between him and his supplies. He decided to do the same, and looked down at the smaller bag over his shoulder. Naruto hardly brought anything at all. Unprepared like always, and he couldn't help himself but to be simply annoyed by it. Did he take anything seriously?
"So, what do you want to learn exactly?" Uzumaki moved his eyes away from his bag and up at him.
"I want to learn how to cook."
Uzumaki placed his hands on his hips, "I know that, but I don't know what you mean by "how to cook."
Sasuke didn't like repeating himself, "I want to know how you cooked the fish the other day, how hard is that for you to understand?"
Unprepared and apparently deaf, Sasuke felt his patience slipping.
The blonde narrowed his eyes at him, "So does that mean you just need to know how to set up the fire and how long to cook the fish?
"Of course I need to know how to do all that, dummy," Sasuke drew in a breath, why did every conversation with the boy have to be so draining, "How to catch the fish, how to prepare it, how to set the fire pit for said fish, how to tell when its ready to eat, and whatever else you do here all day."
Uzumaki blinked at him, as if he was trying to understand everything he had just said. Feeling impatient he added, "Do you even know what you are doing or is what I saw the other day just dumb luck? I might as well leave if that's the case."
"What did you say?" The blonde yelled as he balled his fist and took a step closer to him, "I know how to do all that and you don't, so if you want my help you better just shut up, ya know!"
"Don't tell me to shut up!" Sasuke took a step closer and glared at Uzumaki.
"If you want my help you better shut your mouth for five seconds and let me figure out how to do this!"
"Figure it out? So you don't know what you are doing? I knew it, it was just a stupid trick before!"
"You're the one being stupid, ya know! I was going to help you but if you are just gonna be a jerk the whole time then I'll just go home."
Uzumaki turned to walk away.
This whole idea was a stupid one at that; there was no way he could stand to be around the blonde for more then ten seconds. There was no way he could spend a whole night with Uzumaki, he was irritating and an idiot.
Yet, something in him made him say, "You want to pass the exam, don't you? You need me in order to do that."
That stopped Uzumaki from walking off.
"Just, figure out what you need to figure out and just come get me when you're ready."
With that, Sasuke picked up his bag and out of the clearing and to the water front just pass the campsite. He'd just sit and wait for the blonde to come up with a game plan.
He didn't know why he had asked Uzuamki for help to begin with. Sasuke could have found another means to learn this, he could have asked another person, anyone else really... Yet, he could feel the nagging part of himself who knew the answer, but just didn't want to admit it.
Five minutes later, he heard Uzumaki walking up behind him.
"So when are you going to train me?"
Sasuke thought for a moment, "Alternating days," Sasuke turned around to face the blonde and saw him holding two long sticks in one hand and a small box in the other. He looked at the items and then back up at Uzumaki, "We'll meet here an hour after school until we are done."
Uzumaki shook his head, "I can't do everyday."
"Why not?"
"I have other things to do, ya know."
For some reason, that comment annoyed Sasuke, turning around and crossing his arms he looked down at the water, "Fine, four times a week then. Two days you'll teach me how to cook and two days I'll teach you how to use your weapons properly."
He didn't give a response, instead the blonde walked over to him, handing him one of the sticks in his hand, "Have you ever gone fishing before?"
Everything the blonde said and did struck a cord with him. He wasn't sure if it was how he was asking the questions, with his eyes focusing on him, waiting for an answer. In the back of his mind he knew Uzumaki wouldn't judge him for not knowing, but that didn't stop him from being annoyed at reminder that Uzumaki knew things that he did not know. He growled at his response, No."
Uzumaki seemed to be equally annoyed, flopping down next to him and setting the box down in front of them with a large thump. He opened up the box to take out a packet of fishing string, he took the end of the string and tied it to the top of his stick, "First you have to make a fishing pole, the string and tie it to the end of the stick. Then, I take about five arm lengths worth of string and then cut it off," Uzumaki talked as he showed Sasuke as he stretched out his arms, holding the string out and measuring out the length he needed.
Sasuke asked, "Why don't you just buy a fishing pole?"
"I can't buy things like that," Uzumaki answered without missing a beat, his eyes focused on the task in front of him. When he was done measuring, he rolled the string around his finger and pulled apart the string to break it front the roll. He handed Sasuke the fishing string without looking his way.
Sasuke wanted to ask more, but decided against it. This was the smarter thing to do, being on a mission you were not able to bring that much gear. Learning how to do this with the minimal amount of gear would be more realistic in the long run. He copied Uzumaki's instructions without comment, and felt the blonde's eyes on his as he measured out the string.
Uzuamki handed Sasuke a hook, "Tie this to the end of the string, and then we'll look for bait."
"Bait?" Sasuke looked into the box that was placed in front of them, reading an assortment of different kinds of fishing bait that was already in his box, "You already have some dummy."
"You aren't gonna use my stuff, ya know." Uzuamki narrowed his eyes at him, "You gotta find your own stuff."
Every single thing this kid said just got under Sasuke's skin that he couldn't help but to narrow his eyes back at him, "And how am I suppose to do that, moron?"
"Can you just shut up for five seconds?" Uzuamki finished tying his hook to the fishing string and reached over for his box, slamming it shut, "I was planning on showing you if you'd just give me a chance!"
Grabbing the box and the man made fishing pole, Uzumaki stood up and walked along the edge of the water bank.
Sighing, Sasuke picked up his own pole and followed.
Naruto just wanted to punch his friend, is that how you were suppose to feel around friends?
Everything he said, Sasuke would challenge him on it. He was trying his best to be helpful and patient, but he didn't want to stand there and be called a dummy the whole time either.
"Look," Naruto wanted friends but he wasn't about to have people walk over him either, he turned to face Sasuke, "If you want my help you have to stop calling me a moron, or a dummy, or an idiot. I might not be smart or anything, but I'm not a nobody or just some kid. I'm Naruto Uzumaki! I'm gonna be the future Hokage, believe it!"
There was a look of determination in his eyes that made Sasuke stop and actually listen to what Uzuamki said.
The eyes of having a goal, and to stop at nothing for that goal.
Sasuke knows those eyes because he has those same eyes and he also has a goal.
To be strong.
It may be a different kind of strength, for two very different reasons, but those eyes were the kind of eyes that Sasuke could respect.
It was something he could understand.
"Fine... Naruto..." there was an awkward pause as he saw Naruto brighten up for some reason. The blonde was way too emotional to be around, and wanting to change the air around them, Sasuke asked after a moment of silence between them, "How do we get bait?"
"... Naruto..."
My name, Naruto thought to himself as if it was the first time hearing it, and in a sense, it was. Most people called him horrible names, cruel in fact, that if he didn't say his name as often as he did, he would have forgotten it long ago. Hokage-jiji would say his name, and sometimes Iurka-sensei, but it felt different this time. He was Naruto Uzumaki! The future Hokage! It was his name, it was precious to him.
Hearing his name, hearing someone acknowledge his name and who he was, Naruto couldn't help but to feel warm in the pit of his stomach where he often felt cold.
He didn't even know what his name was suppose to sound like, but now he knew, and he never wanted this feeling to go away.
"How do we get bait?"
"Oh right," Naruto tried to ease the smile on his face, but he knew he was doing a horrible job at it. Instead, he placed his gear on the ground and went down to his knees, "We gotta dig the worms up,"
Digging his fingers into the ground, Naruto began to dig up the dirt, "Sometimes it can take a while to find the worms, so if you dig for a while and if you don't see one, just search in a different place, ya know."
After a moment a digging, Naruto looked up to see Sasuke staring at him. He was always dirty, so the mud between his fingers and clothes didn't bother him, but, Sasuke was always clean, wasn't he?
"Come on, its not that bad, I promise," Naruto grinned up at him.
Sasuke's normal reaction would to call him an idiot, but they were past that now.
There was no denying it now, they needed one another, and Sasuke just had to accept it, for now at least.
Sasuke kneeled down next to Naruto, using his hands to dig into the dirt, Sasuke lifted one handful of dirt to find a single worm trying to inch its way back into the soil. Reaching down and pulling it from the ground, Sasuke turned to face Naruto with a worm in hand.
And his eyes meet with a very annoyed Naruto.
"Why does everything come so easily to you, Sasuke?" Naruto glared at the worm and back at him.
And for some reason, Sasuke did something that he thought he had forgotten how to do, he laughed.
It had felt good as he let his laughter fill the air around him. It only took a moment before Naruto had joined him in his laugher as well.
Was this okay, Sasuke couldn't help but to think between breathes, that he was able to finally forget about his goal...
...For just a moment.