Chapter Two: Not Your Teacher
Okay people! Just so you know, I'm going to put the apostrophes around Atsushi whenever his name comes up. It's so people don't forget that Naruto knows his name isn't Atsushi. Also, I'm not sure if I want to make this story mature, so if anyway wants to through in their opinion, go ahead.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Kishimoto does… But if I did own it, that would be really cool. I own all OC mentioned the story though! Enjoy ^_^v
"And then he said to Kaka-sensei 'where did he learn to fight? At a bar?' The nerve of that guy!" He screamed. Naruto was retelling his mission to a silent 'Atsushi', trying to mimic the man's voice that had said that to him. Unfortunately, it sounded nasally and the effect of the words weren't as harsh, so 'Atsushi' had a hard time concentrating on the actual story. They had been meeting at the waterfall for about a week now, and they spent hours talking about random things. Well, Naruto talked and 'Atsushi' listened. Today, Naruto had gone on a mission with Sasuke, Sakura and Kakashi. It was a regular escort job, from town to town, but halfway there, they were ambushed. Long story short, the man they were escorting didn't think very highly of Naruto when he saw him fighting.
"That's not even the worst part! He then said 'But this guy over there', he's talkin about Sasuke, 'is very graceful and skilled. A fine shinobi.' Uggh! And Sakura was all giggly after that."
Naruto pouted, sitting crossed legged on the dirt ground, while 'Atsushi' sat under a tree facing him. He had abandoned the cloak because of the hot weather, and sat in the shade, an arm propped up on his bent knee, while the other lay on the leg flat on the floor. There was still a lot of time left in the day, since the mission only took up the morning, so the sun was high. The lake sparkled beautifully, which looked even more spectacular with the rainbow created by the waterfall.
"Hey, what is this place even called?" Naruto asked. "I noticed the statues, so it's like a Konoha monument, right?"
Placing his head against the tree, 'Atsushi' looked in the direction of the waterfall. Even wearing a mask, Naruto could tell he was in deep thought.
"It's called The Valley of the End. It's where Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju fought for control of the village. The statues were built in their memory." His voice sounded bitter and strained. Naruto looked down at 'Atsushi's' hands, watching them clench the fabric of his pants.
"Is something wrong? Why do you go here if it bothers you so much?"
Getting up from his seat against the tree, he straightened his shirt, standing tall and confident as ever. He then walked over to Naruto, and offered a gloved hand to pull him up. "It is a reminder for me. No matter what, I must keep moving forward, but to never forget what is most important. It is a reminder of how much I have changed."
Placing his hands on Naruto's shoulder, he steadied him, from when he pulled too quickly and almost sent Naruto toppling over. "But for now, it's just our place."
Naruto looked up at him taken aback. "Don't say it like that! It's sounds so creepy. But… thank you."
"Don't thank me yet. Come on."
Pulling Naruto towards the lake, he started to walk on water, dragging Naruto with him. Each step they took caused circle-like-rings to swirl around them, and for a moment, Naruto was tempted to just fall into the lake clothes be damned.
"Personally, I haven't sparred with anyone in a while, and it sounds like you need a partner."
Naruto looked up from the shimmering water he was staring at, searching 'Atsushi' for signs of mockery. He just stood their facing the waterfall, standing stock-still. "You're still there aren't you, Naruto?" 'Atsushi joked.
Shaking his head, Naruto slipped into a fighting pose and automatically rushed to 'Atsushi'. Naruto brought his fist up, and jumped towards him, face squinting with concentration.
Slam. 'Atsushi' held Naruto down with his hand. He was laying flat on the surface of the water, moving his face to the side so that the water wouldn't rush into his mouth. Feeling the hand leave his back, 'Atsushi's' face came near Naruto's ear. "You can do better, right?"
Trying to kick 'Atushi's legs from under him, he flipped backwards ten feet away. And for the rest of the day, he tried to hit 'Atsushi' at least once.
Slam Again.
Slam And Again.
Slam And Again.
"Ouch."
"Did I hit you? I bet I did! Yes!" Naruto yelled in joy, but it was hard to tell since half his face was planted on the surface of the water.
"No, you're jacket clipped me on the finger."
A black rain cloud accumulated above him, and Naruto dragged himself back onto the shore, 'Atsushi' not that far off. He took off his jacket, and folded his hands behind his head. The sun was going down, and it was about time to be heading back to the village before it got too late, but he felt kind of disappointed that he didn't even land a hit.
"Don't feel so bad. I made sure to go harder on you each time. Now get back home; don't worry your friends."
"Hey, hey! Why don't you teach some cool jutsu! If you're going to train me then be my teacher! You'll be a lot better then Kakashi-sensei and Pervy Sage!"
"Slow down, Naruto. I'll leave the teaching to Kakashi and Jiriaya. And I wasn't teaching you anything. I merely was helping you refine what you've already learned. I'm sure they are fully capable in doing their job. I won't be your teacher because then I wouldn't be able to be your friend."
Naruto was disappointed at this answer, but at least 'Atsushi' sounded like he valued their friendship. Brushing himself off, grabbing his discarded jacket and walking back towards the forest he scoffed. "They don't care about me. They wouldn't miss me if I disappeared."
"Naruto! Don't say that. You'll be surprised on how many people do. You're just looking in all the wrong places, idiot." 'Atsushi lectured. Pushing Naruto on the back, he sent him off, vanishing in a swirl of smoke when Naruto turned back around to look at him.
"What was that all about? And when did I tell him the Pervert's name?"
"Hi guys. Sorry I'm late, but Asuma caught himself on fire, and I had to help him out."
Kakashi said. Looking up from his position on the bridge, Naruto gazed at Kakashi, who was calmly perched on one of the poles. At that point, Naruto really couldn't help but think how much of a scarecrow Kakashi looked like at that moment.
"Liar! Asuma-sensei was walking past here with Ino, Chouji and Shikamaru only a few minutes ago!" Shrieked Sakura.
Naruto nodded in agreement, too busy glaring at Sasuke to actually give a verbal answer this time. Kami, that smug little smirk of his was really grating at his nerves! Kakashi led them to the memorial stone training ground, a place that they practically claimed for themselves. Some Genin teams even thought that Team 7 had set up trip wires and traps to stop other ninjas from practicing there. It wasn't true of course, but that didn't stop rumors from flying around the village.
"Alright everyone. We don't have a mission today, so let's practice a bit. Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura, I want you to do a three way spar. Who ever goes down first treats to lunch. Go."
In a flash of colors, the three genin zoomed towards each other. Naruto, like always, had quickly summoned a few clones, but the jutsu was predictable enough, so they were destroyed by fire balls before they could even land a hit on Sasuke. But the fight really escalated after Naruto decided to through in exploding tags ten minutes into it. Both Sasuke and Naruto were so determined to get each other, that when Sakura tried to get between them, she was knocked away, and thrown to the ground.
"Well, we know who's treating for lunch now." Kakashi said in a bored manner. His eye followed Naruto's movements, and in truth, he'd be lying if he didn't say he thought Naruto had improved.
Slam. Kakashi's eye widened in brief shock. Naruto had grabbed Sasuke, who was promptly thrown to the ground, his body bouncing from the force. But the win was short lived as Sasuke clutched Naruto's body and pinned him down, sitting on his back to keep him on the ground.
"Sorry, Dobe. You get to live another day as a loser."
"Shut up Sasuke! I'll beat you next time." Naruto yelled, the sound slightly muffled by the dirt. He struggled under Sasuke, trying to get out from under him.
"Ouch."
"What? What happened?"
"Nothing, you're jacket clipped me on the finger."
Naruto dropped his head on the ground. His jacket did more damage then he did. How depressing. Sasuke finally got off of Naruto, pulling a leaf out of his hair.
"But… at least you're not completely bad now. Keep it up, and I might just want to fight you." Sasuke smirked down at him.
Jumping up from the floor, Naruto was about to add a nasty comment to that when he caught a glimpse of a small smile tugging on the ends of Sasuke's lips. His face twisted in confusion, feeling his heart start to play a beat in his chest. Naruto just stood there, not even breaking eye contact with him. When Sasuke finally raised one of his eyebrows, Naruto couldn't stop his heart from fluttering even faster and a light blush to bloom on his tan cheeks.
"Dobe, hurry up and wipe that dopey look off your face. I'm hungry and I'd like to eat sometime today."
"Y-yeah. Yeah! Let's go get Ramen!"
"Did I say we were going to get ramen, dobe."
Kakashi turned his head in their direction, remembering when that had been Obito and him. Shaking his head to clear away the memory, he picked up Sakura, who was still knocked out from earlier. "You guys go ahead and go. I'm going to drop Sakura off at her house." Sasuke and Naruto gave a nod of understanding, while Kakashi turned around and started walking away. "Oh and Naruto. Good job today. Sakura was wrong that day. Just keep doing what you did to improve." Kakashi vanished into the trees, leaving behind a stunned blonde boy. Letting the words sink in, Naruto walked silently with Sasuke to where ever he wanted to eat. A smile softly played with his pink lips; eyes shining with endless amounts of joy. 'Atsushi' was right. Maybe he had been too blinded by his own emotions and their lecturing to notice that in the end, they did care. And this realization, and today's success, wouldn't have been discovered if 'Atsushi' hadn't worked with him the day before.
"Naruto, we're going into the barbecue place."
Naruto walked in with Sasuke, and immediately were noticed by Team Asuma. Chouji was trying to swallow a huge piece of meat when he waved them over, alerting the others that Naruto and Sasuke were there.
"Naruto! Sasuke! Join us for lunch! We just started eating! It's on Asuma-sensei too!"
Naruto noticed the distressed look on Asuma's face at having two more people to pay for, but Naruto quickly reassured him that both Sasuke and himself would be able to pay for themselves. Flagging down a waiter, everyone scooted down (these are those seats in restaurants where its like a couch around a table) and Naruto slipped into the seat next to Ino. Sasuke followed right after Naruto settled in. It was a tight squeeze for the two, and Naruto really didn't want to be pushed against Ino, so he had no choice but to lean towards Sasuke. Naruto made sure not to fidget in fear that his body would touch Sasuke's. Anymore, and he practically be sitting on him.
"Whoa. When did I start worrying about that? What am I even thinking? This is ridiculous and disgusting! I don't like boys and I don't like Sasuke! Right?"
The thought worried him, since he doubted anyone in the group, that was a male, liked guys.
"Oy, Naruto! Eat before Chouji takes your share." Shikamaru remarked.
He decided that he would think about it later. The meal was intensely uncomfortable, and it didn't help that Sasuke didn't even notice Naruto's discomfort. Once they were finished, Naruto slapped some money on the table and high tailed it out of there, almost tripping over Sasuke on his way out. (Sasuke was still sitting)
Falling asleep that night was a pain, too. Normally, he would've visited the Valley to meet with 'Atsushi', but it looked like it was going to rain, and he was sure the other boy would understand. He'd visit him tomorrow afternoon for sure.
It was still raining outside, and lightning streaked the sky. The raindrops beat against Naruto's bedroom window, but never even bothered him in his dreamland. A lone figure cautiously made his way through the streets of Konoha, doing his best to navigate his way through the storm. Reaching his destination, he pushed himself off the ground, and soared through the air, feet barely making a sound when they landed on the windowsill's edge. Gloved fingers pried open the old window, slipping into Naruto's room. Advancing towards his bed, the man put one knee on the edge of the mattress and tapped Naruto on the shoulder. Waking up with a jolt, Naruto saw the shadow over his bed and opened his mouth to scream, but a familiar black-gloved hand covered it.
"You weren't there today."
The statement oddly sounded like an accusation and a question too, but all the same, it woke Naruto up. His eyes glided up the strong arm, and to the body connected to it. The hand fell away, letting Naruto have the chance to give a sigh of relief.
"It's just you, 'Atsushi'. I got scared that someone was here to kill me or something. Oh and I didn't come today because I didn't want to go out, since a storm was coming. You weren't waiting out there, were you?"
The question made Naruto nervous. 'Atsushi' was really attached to him, and he didn't know whether that was because he wanted a friend or he wanted something else.
"He doesn't know about the Kyuubi, does he? If he was akatsuki I think he would of kidnapped me by now.
Ignoring Naruto's last question he opted to just sit down on the end of his bed, not caring that he was soaking the sheets.
"How was your day?"
Seeing that he probably wouldn't be getting any sleep anyway, Naruto sat up.
"It was actually really great, believe it. I was able to hit Sasuke to the ground, but he ended up winning. But he was kind of smiling at the end!"
'Atsushi' gave an amused snort. Apparently, he found the very thought of it funny.
"He doesn't seem like the type of guy who smiles."
"Well it wasn't really a smile. It was more like his lip was twitching upward. 'Atsushi'… can I ask you something personal?"
Bowing his head in response, Naruto took that as a 'go on'.
"Well… do you think two gu… I mean is it okay for two guys to like each other?"
It was silent for a moment, before 'Atsushi' shifted his position to where he was sitting cross-legged on Naruto's bed.
"Why do you ask? But in any case, I don't know whether it's right or wrong. Society looks down on it, but they look down on a lot of things. I really don't care either way."
"Oh well, it's just… I've liked my teammate Sakura for a long time. Actually a few years now, but I've kind of lost interest."
"And you want to take a shot at guys?"
Naruto blushed furiously, tugging at a lock of his hair in an embarrassed manner.
"Well, not exactly. I think I might like Sasuke-teme."
It went silent after that, and for a moment Naruto thought 'Atsushi' was going to bolt out the window.
"It that so. What do you like about him?"
The question threw Naruto in a loop. Scratching his head, he cocked his head to the side and squinted his eyes.
"Not sure. It just suddenly happened today when he spoke to me."
'Atsushi' started to chuckle softly into his hand, bursting into laughter afterwards. Calming himself down, he was immediately tackled. Naruto straddled him, grabbing his shirt, and pulling him closer.
"This isn't funny! I think I have feelings for my rival! This is fan freakin tastic! Maybe I should go to a doctor. All this training is probably messing with my head."
Rolling Naruto over, he pinned Naruto's hands above him. The sheets had fallen off his bed, and his nightshirt had traveled up his stomach a bit. Growing silent, Naruto gulped, his throat feeling unusually dry. The blush he already had before, spread from the bridge of his nose, and glowed everywhere; successfully lighting his face up. He was staring at 'Atsushi's mask, even more curious to what was behind it. Something pulsed inside of him when 'Atsushi' leaned in. His black hair hung down, lightly tickling Naruto's neck, and he had the sudden urge to pull on it.
"Do you think Sasuke likes boys?" 'Atsushi' whispered in his ear.
"I-I-I… we-well, I don't kn-know." Naruto stuttered back, ignoring the temperature rising in the room. 'Atsushi' was silent again. Naruto was sure he could hear the thundering tempo growing in his chest.
"Just don't get hurt."
In an instant, 'Atsushi' was gone, leaving behind a completely flustered Naruto behind. The window hung open, revealing the beautiful night sky. Naruto didn't even notice that the rain had stopped.
What have I gotten myself into?
Yay! I bet a chunk of you really want to know who this masked guy is now. I wasn't going to update this so soon, but I got so excited that I decided I'd finish the 5th chapter to my others tomorrow. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'll probably have the next one in by Monday or Tuesday night! Please review! ^_^v
Chapter Three: Getting To Know You Better