Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, that right belongs solely to it's creator.
Midnight: Hola, como estas?(ignore the Spanish plz, but i got an A in that class!) This is one I've been meaning to right for ages, and a reviewer for another oneshot kinda gave me the idea for a bit of it. You know who u r, thx!
HUMBLE
Out of the corner of his eye, Uchiha Sasuke, face as emotional as marble, watched as Uzumaki Naruto hummed to himself, tossing pieces of bread to the ducks on the water below. One cheek was a light shade of purple, the bruise already half healed from a rock thrown yesterday after training. Although his face never left looking in the direction that Sakura would come from, he indulged in a private train of thought as he caught site of the other boy's profile.
How, after all everyone had done to him, could he still smile?
Sasuke had a theory that it might be short term memory, for Naruto did seem to only live in the now, opposed to the then. But his memory of events, jutsus, phrases, etc was impeccable.
Sakura's idea was that he was hiding from the pain it caused. That was plausible, but Sasuke could not imagine the blonde hiding from anything. The problem was that her hypothesis was supported by the fact that he no longer seemed to have a crush on her. He had even congratulated the Uchiha heir on their alleged relationship.
Of course they weren't really dating, but Sakura know his secret, and helped him hide it. It was difficult to ignore the constant teasing and subtle hints in front of Naruto. Sighing imperceptively, he straightened up at his girlfriend's approach. They hugged and kissed each other on the cheek, and their teammate pretended to gag and throw up.
"I think I'm gonna hurl!"
"Good morning to you too Naruto." Sakura walked over and gave the boy a hug, a long one, that had a cetain black-haired boy's blood boiling.
"Sasuke looks ready to kill Sakura..." She stepped back and returned to her 'boyfriend's' side, green eyes twinkling.
"I don't think he'ld kill you Naru." Said boy missed the glare Sasuke gave to a smirking girl, because he was tossing more bread to the ducks.
"If given the chance, I don't think he'ld hesitate!" He busted out laughing, the 'couple' gave each other bemused looks.
"Naruto, are you going to train with Sasuke today?" Sakura asked, smiling gently at the blonde's back.
"Yea, if the teme doesn't argue." Naruto shrugged, turning his head slightly to watch a group of adults walk across the bridge from the corner of one eye. Sasuke noted the behaviour, curious as to what could of caused it.
They lapsed into silence. Naruto started humming to himself again, seemingly oblivious to everything around him. Sasuke looked at Sakura, who just shrugged. He opened his mouth to say something, when a puff of smoke and a loud greeting stopped him.
"Good morning team!" Kakashi said happily from atop the arch. Everyone gave him astounded looks, but Naruto was the only one who seemed able to say anything.
"You're early!"
"Yes, I guess am," Kakashi seemed as startled as them, but shrugged, continueing, "I just came to tell you that training was canceled for today! No missions! You get a day off!" He smiled at them from under his mask, the one visible curving upward.
"WHAT?!" Naruto yelled, and Sakura echoed the sentiment.
"Yup, you get a free day! Enjoy it!" And with that he disappeared in another puff of smoke.
Sakura sighed, and turned back the way she had come, "I have to go help my parents. Bye!" With a wave she walked away, leaving the two boys on their own.
Naruto was grumbling, itching the bruise on his cheek in irritation. Sasuke suddenly came to a decision. He was going to find out why the other boy was always happy, no matter what happened to him. But instead of sneaking around, or spying, he would ask straight out.
"Well, I guess I better get home... I can always clean." Naruto said, tossing the rest of the bread into the water, and started to walk away.
"Naruto." Sasuke broke him off in mid grumble, and he turned back around.
"Yea Sasuke?" He frowned and tilted his head, blinking in curiosity.
"Can we talk?" His voice didn't tremble, or show the nervousness he suddenly felt.
"Sure. Whatcha need to talk about?" Naruto put his hands behind his head.
"Follow me." Sasuke headed towards the Hokage Monument, Naruto only a step or two behind him.
He could hear humming again. And his resolve was bolstered by it. He wanted to know what made the blonde tick, why the villagers seemed to hate him. Years of watching had shown him nothing, so he was going to the source for a change. It didn't take long for them to reach the top, and Naruto sat down, swinging his legs over the side.
"Whatcha need Sasuke?" He asked again.
"I need to ask you something." Sasuke replied evasively, sitting down beside him.
"What? I don't have all day, I do need to clean my apartment." Naruto's nose crinkled cutely as he thought of the enormous task that would be.
"Why does everyone hate you?" He said bluntly.
Naruto leaned back, using his hands to keep himself upright, "Does Sakura hate me?"
"No." Sasuke frowned and wondered at where this was going.
"Does Hinata or Neiji or Chouji or Ino or Shikamaru or Shino or Kiba or Konohamaru or any of them hate me?"
"No."
"Does Iruka-sensei or Kakashi-sensei hate me?" He went on, blatently ignoring the confused look Sasuke was giving him.
"No..." He trailed off, befuddled.
"Do you hate me Sasuke?" Naruto's eyes were closed, his face blank.
"No." Sasuke said firmly.
"Then not everyone hates me." He smiled and shrugged, proud of his logic. He was unaware of the twitch that had formed in one of Sasuke's eyes.
"Why do the majority of the adults seem to hate you?" He asked clearly this time, but nothing changed in Naruto's posture or position.
"Because of who I am." He shrugged again.
"Who are you?" Sasuke asked this time, wanting clear answers.
"Uzumaki Naruto, Vessel of the Kyuubi, or called by same as the Nine Tails Fox Demon." Naruto opened his eyes and smiled at the other boy.
"The Fourth Hokage killed him." Sasuke said calmly frowning when the blonde chuckled.
"Try telling that to him. No, he wasn't killed. The Fourth put him in the body of an infant boy, in his son. He wanted the village to view him as a hero, as someone who would be a great ninja. But no, they didn't. My dad gave up his life for nothing." His face grew wistful, but the small smile never left.
"Your dad..." Sasuke trailed off, shocked at the simple way Naruto had told him.
"Yup. My dad did the only thing he could think of to save the village. It lost him his life, but he really did think it was worth it." Naruto chuckled.
"So that's why they hate you." He said quietly, not quite expecting that to have been the answer to his question.
"Yea, pretty much. The pranks haven't really helped though. Who cares." He shrugged again.
"Exactly." Sasuke said quickly.
"Huh?" Naruto looked at him surprised.
"Why do you not care?" He watched the other boy seriously.
"What do you mean?" He blinked up into the somber coal black eyes.
"Why do you not care that almost everyone hates you?"
"But not everyone hates me. And I was born in this village. When I took the oath to be a ninja, it included protecting everyone here. Whether they hate me or not doesn't matter. I'm going to give my life to protect them, and one day they'll have to say thanks, or something." Naruto shrugged yet again.
"How can you be so strong, so nonchalant?" Sasuke's voice deepened in wonder, and Naruto blinked.
"Me? Strong? I can't beat you at all. And what does nonchalant mean?" He asked incredulously.
"There are more ways then one to be strong. I used to think I was strong by hating my brother." He looked down, and away.
"Wow, you're actually forming complete sentences." Naruto said in awe, and received a glare for the comment.
"Shut up. And you are strong, to take the hate everyone gives you, but still want to protect them. Why? How?" Sasuke's face softened.
"I guess a little of it has to do with the fact my dad died doing just that." He frowned in thought.
"Did you know who your dad was the whole time you wanted that?" He questioned softly.
"No, I didn't." Naruto said slowly.
"Then how?"
"When I was young I just wanted attention, and I got that when I got in trouble. Then one day I saw some kids beating up a puppy. Even though I was five, I tried to stop them, but they turned on me. I didn't care though, because I was able to save the puppy." Naruto smiled at the memory.
"What happened?" Sasuke asked with bated breath.
"To the puppy? I nursed it back to health, before taking it out into the forest and letting it go. Every now and then he'll come when I'm training."
"Why didn't you hate those boys?"
"I wasn't the only one they beat up. And I'm going to meet people like that every day, so why waste the time and energy it would take to hate them, when I could be using that to train to become stronger?"
Sasuke was silent. He had never thought about it like that. All these years spent hating his brother, could of been used to rebuild the Uchiha name.
"And when I become Hokage, they'll have to respect me!" Naruto laughed loudly, and Sasuke knew it wasn't a fake.
"How can you be so happy all the time?" His voice was low, and filled with wonder.
"Are you angry, or sad all the time? No. I'm not happy all the time either. But I have friends, even when no one would be my friend, I had the dog in the forest. Or my dreams of becoming the strongest ninja. I wasn't always alone. Not everyone has always hated me. When the fifth was still alive, he was kinda like a mentor. So that's why I'm usually happy," Naruto grinned up at Sasuke, "Why do you hate your brother?"
"He killed my family." Was the fierce reply.
"But isn't he family? You still call him your brother." Naruto pointed out.
That stopped Sasuke in his tracks. It was true. If his brother came to him asking for forgiveness, it might be given. Even after what he had done, Sasuke couldn't truly hate his brother.
"See? It's the same way. I love Konoha. I don't necessarily love everyone in it, but I would die to protect them. Just like so many others," Naruto stood up, "I have to go clean my apartment. See ya tomorrow Sasuke." He turned and started to walk away.
Sasuke sat still for several minutes. Suddenly he leapt up and ran after Naruto, catching up to him halfway down the mountain. There was a question on the blonde's lips, but whatever it was, was swallowed up by Sasuke's. He pulled back after the barest of seconds, and looked into the ocean blue eyes.
"I don't just like you, I love you."
"Sakura-"
"She likes someone else anyway."
And leaned down to capture his mouth again.