Wow. I forgot how hard it is to catch up once you fall behind. But I will do it. No matter what, I will get 12 chapters up by Christmas Day/Night!
Next one is going to be up in a few hours...as soon as I type it up and edit it. Then its two left before I'm back on track!
Enjoy this one and review!
There was a note taped to his front door when he arrived at his apartment that night. Naruto was puzzled with the change, already assuming it was from his mysterious gift giver. He still didn't know what to think of the man who seemed to know him. He could barely remember the people he used to live around with when his parents were alive. He pulled the note from the door and opened it.
Apparently the front office received a package for him and he was to stop by before the office closed for the night to pick it up. Wandering back down four flights of stairs, he entered the nicely furnished office and approached the counter. It was surprisingly empty of the usual receptionist and of anyone else as well. Looking around, he decided to go knock on the door in the back. It was the owner's office. A muffled voice called out for him to enter.
Inside the office was a person with long raven black hair that looked like it was tied back and wearing a neatly pressed dress shirt.
"Good evening. I was told to come here to pick up my package."
The person looked up, a pair of silver rimmed glasses framed dark eyes. A faint spark of recognition showed but Naruto passed it off as a glare on the glasses. He didn't recognize the man, but it had to be the ever elusive landlord.
"Hello. And you are?" he questioned, setting down the glasses and pushing back his chair, revealing a trim body clad in what had to be tailored clothes. He gestured for Naruto to follow and walked over to a small pile of oversized packages in the back corner of the front room.
Naruto gave a small bow as he introduced himself, "I'm Uzumaki Naruto in flat 3B. Please take care of me."
The man nodded as he looked through the pile. "Well I'm Uchiha Itachi. As you probably know, I'm your new landlord. I'm normally in the office at least twice a week, other times any daytime inquires go to the receptionist."
He picked up a medium shaped box and handed it to the blonde. "Right. Here's the package. Though out of curiosity, who do you know from the states?"
"Oh!" Naruto looked down at the box in his hand and caught sight of the return address. "That would be my cousins. My aunt has been overseas since she was young. Apparently she met the father of her children there."
Itachi nodded. "If that is all Uzumaki-san…" the man trailed off.
"Yep. Good night then Uchiha-san."
"Good night," he replied, watching the blonde head towards the main doors. "A final word Uzumaki-san," he called out. The blonde turned and looked, question written on his face. "Are you still getting those gifts?"
"Yes. Though I still don't know what to think about them, but I'm not worried for now. Thank you for remembering Uchiha-san. Happy Holidays." And the blonde left; the solid doors closing with barely a sound.
Happy holidays indeed.
***
Naruto hummed some holiday song as he practically skipped up the stairs. His cousins, the Sabakus, sent him his Christmas gift. He was glad to have found more of his family, though how he found them was rather annoying. A few years ago when he was still in high school, one of his classes had him do a family tree and required that it date as far back as his great-grandparents, if possible. Even when Naruto stayed after class to tell him that he didn't know his family and could not reach anywhere past his parents, the man had the audacity to tell him he still had to do it. His exact words were something like "You didn't come from a rock. With the internet, you could find out about your family." And practically then kicked him out of the room.
As far as Naruto knew, he had some aunt and uncles from his parents, but had never heard from them. Most of the things his parents had in the house had burned with it that one holiday and his parents in that horrific accident on the highway on their way to the hospital. So essentially he was alone in this world and his stupid teacher wanted a family tree.
Naruto spent the next week and a half in the school library searching online and through some odd genealogy websites. Finally, with only a few days left before the project was due, he received an e-mail saying that they had an uncle by the name of Namikaze Minato. That started a massive e-mail chain to confirm and ask for more information. By the time the project was due, Naruto managed to get all the way up to his great-grandfather and great-granduncle, though any offspring aside from the direct line was blank. The rest as they say was history.
Naruto bounded into his apartment once the door was opened and set down his package on the kitchen counter and opened it with joy. Inside and underneath the packing peanuts were four gifts, one from his aunt and the others from his cousin. There was even a card with a picture of a surfing Santa – that he added to the tree along with the other five and placed his gifts under the tree. He picked up the new card and read the message inside.
On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
A picture is worth a thousand words.
But even then it's not enough to describe you.
***
On the coffee table was a metal tree and in it branches dangled little square ornaments. A closer looked showed the ornaments were actually photo frames and in six of them were pictures of his family : his mom, his dad, Iruka, himself, a photo of him and Iruka eating ramen and a small photo of him and his parents in front of a Christmas tree.
Hmm...I don't think I have anything cultural to explain... Oh wait! For those who don't know or whatever, when Naruto says "Please take care of me," it's the translation of "Yoroshiku onegaishimasu." That's what is said when you first meet someone.
That's about it for now. Review please. :D
