What are we?
Chapter 2 Summary: Naruto is assigned to his first Genin team. He's both overjoyed and devastated with who he's been teamed with... And these two outcasts are quite the interesting duo...
"This is the life we live, so, why not live it?"
Naruto had spent the morning preparing for this day. He had brushed his teeth, washed his face, and made sure his hair was in perfect condition before checking his reflection in the mirror. It was his usual routine, one that Iruka-sensei disapproved of, but it's just what felt natural to him.
Three months he had been waiting for this day, and now, it was finally here. He was finally going to become a Genin. He picked up the headband Iruka-sensei had given him last night and swiped his thumb over the symbol engraved on the metal.
It had once belonged to Iruka-sensei. He had gifted it to him for helping capture Mizuki. Such a petty man, he had let the demons in his head overpower him. Iruka-sensei had been upset about that but Naruto couldn't see why. It's not like Mizuki was dead or anything, his life didn't really matter… Did it? He hadn't dared to ask Iruka-sensei… it seemed wrong to ask something like that…
But, he was pretty sure he had once read that the only life that truly matters is the life of the great or something like that. He doesn't quite remember but that sounds about right.
"Okay…" He whispers and lifts the band of fabric to his forehead, three simple knots - because he still can't bring himself to tie one out of fear of it falling off - and stares at his reflection in the mirror.
He looks different. The headband makes him feel different. Strong. Like the Shodai Hokage when he faced off against the monstrous Uchiha Madara.
Uchiha… That name reminded him of that… thing in his class. Sasuke. He shivered at the memory of the dark boy who was covered in shadows. He knew that becoming a Genin meant being on a team with other Genin. He didn't care who he was with as long as he wasn't with that he would be happy.
That boy was surely the embodiment of death itself.
And he wanted nothing to do with him.
If he is death, he thinks as he huddles in his seat, then she is surely life.
Naruto watches as she enters the classroom. She is always bright and full of life. There are no demons around her, no cloudy shadows, nothing that could bring on the darkness that haunts their world. She is a beacon of light that shines endlessly without wavering.
Iruka-sensei had once told him about fairies. They're small creatures that flit about on wings and bring good luck and make flowers grow, always laughing and smiling. Stuff like that. Like happiness.
Naruto believes the girl in his class is a fairy. She's exactly as Iruka-sensei had once described them to look like. With pink hair and bright green eyes, she's also very short for a girl and has red lips, the colour of cherries. Everything about her screams fairy.
He decidedly ignores the dark cloud that enters behind her and focuses his attention elsewhere. His book his burning beneath his palm, the itch to read the words it shelters growing stronger until he can't contain his desire. He wants to learn, to know more so that he can figure out a way to eliminate the Bōrei from the world.
"Alright, class!" Iruka-sensei calls as he enters the room, "Sit down. I want to congratulate you all for graduating to Genin, I guess all those days of hard work really paid off, huh." Only a few of the former students laughed, they were all too excited to know their teams to care about their former teachers' humour. "Anyway… I'll be assigning you all to your teams so keep quiet, and absolutely - under no circumstances - are you to speak out against placements. These teams were put together by Sandaime-sama himself and his judgement is final. Understood?"
"Yes, sensei."
"Good, now…"
Naruto had taken to ignoring him, it wasn't done purposely, it's just that this passage in the book was more interesting than listening to who was going with who on missions. After all, the only person who really mattered right now was himself, and how he was going to become Hokage.
'It's something that hurts me inside… So long had I awaited the sweet bliss of peace that I almost turned my gaze from discord. Foolish, I was. How could I believe that peace was possible when people of, not only my homeland but the country itself are suffering. I had hoped that this union of clans would bring about a new age of shinobi, one of peace and freedom, but, as I had previously discovered, not everybody was willing to conform from the old ways… Life is hard for those who lead.'
"Life is hard for those who lead, huh…"
Naruto frowned. The Shodai Hokage believed that life was hard. Even though he doesn't really know what it means to live a hard life he feels that it may be something that the Shinobi of all villages may feel… Iruka-sensei did say that shinobi are leaders… so maybe that means their hardships are what keeps them tied to the Earth after they pass… Instead of ascending to the Pure Land they're stuck here… trying to continue their roles as leaders.
So… if I were to erase the hardships of life Bōrei would be able to go on to the other side? He deliberated on this… It made sense in his mind.
"Uzumaki Naruto…" Iruka-sensei called his name, Naruto's head shot up. Had he been caught not paying attention again? He hoped not. As much as he liked Iruka-sensei he didn't like when he hit him on the head with all those hard books.
Oh, wait. He remembered, Iruka-sensei is assigning teams right now so this must be my team. He was excited - sort of - with who would he be paired? His eyes wandered over to the ball of energy at the front of the class.
"Haruno Sakura…" The Fairy jumped up, her arms in the air and a string of words leaving her lips.
Were his thoughts being heard? Did the fates decide he was going to be on the same team with the Fairy?! Excitement bubbled inside of him. Yes!
"And… Uchiha Sasuke." NO! "Alright, that's all for Team 7. Next, we have… Yamanaka Ino…"
Naruto chewed his lips, biting so hard to keep them together that blood dribbled down his chin. It was hard for him not to jump and scream like he did when he was 9-years-old. He had to keep the hysteria inside or else something bad might happen. But, it was just. So. Hard.
More than anything, more than stars, more than life, he wanted to be on a team that didn't have that THING involved with it.
"Hmm…" Naruto gasped when he felt something tap against his forehead. What was that? A ghost? A spirit? Is someone trying to communicate with me from the other side? His head rushes with different ideas. "You know… he's a lot shorter than I thought he'd be."
When warm hands grasped his face, pinching and stretching his cheeks he realised that this was no spirit speaking to him but the Fairy herself. She crouched on top of his desk, sitting back on her heels and inspecting his face with intense concentration.
Naruto looked into her bright eyes filled with awe.
She's so close to me.
He had never actually spoken to Fairy or seen her up close, always too shy to be around her in fear that she might fly off. But, now… being so close to her he thought something ethereal stood before him. She's so pretty… He thinks, looking at her Fae-like features that only enhance her beauty.
"What do you think, Sasuke-kun?"
"..."
He's so entranced by the hypnotising swirl of her eyes that he doesn't even hear her. What is she saying? I don't know. Do you think she has magic? He doesn't realise until she jerks and jumps away from him that he was about to touch her hair, the strands of pink so close that he can almost taste the mystic properties. Is it weird that he had been waiting years just to get close enough to touch her? He doesn't think it is.
"What are you doing?!" She shrieks and her voice is like that of an offended siren, "Don't touch my hair, you weird, little pervert! Did you see that, Sasuke-kun!? He's so weird. And he smells funny. Like olives, or spicy fruits… that's kind of annoying." Then she looks down at him, her green eyes hardened in their judgement, yet… something else swirls in those eyes that hide nothing… Something like… glass.
"You're annoying."
Naruto's eyes widen. He hadn't been expecting that. Why would she call me annoying? Iruka-sensei said that fairies were kind, unjudging creatures that help you… but this feeling hurt him. He doesn't know what it is, he's never felt it before, but his lips press together. He needs to suppress the scream that's threatening to tear from his throat. It wouldn't do well to disappoint Iruka-sensei and the Old Man after such a long time without incident.
When Sakura marches away, her pretty aura returning and sparkling as she jumps out the window, Sasuke stays by the boy's desk. Silently studying his reaction. When he has his verdict he sighs and leaves the room.
Naruto's still in class when everybody else leaves. All of the other teams had gone off with their sensei's and left him alone in the classroom. Not even the Fairy or it have returned yet. That leaves him on his own and somewhat settled.
It's always easier to think when he was alone.
Still, he wonders where they could be, and where their sensei could be. It's a mystery that muddles his mind and despite Iruka-sensei's assurances that their team's sensei will arrive soon, Naruto can't help but feel suspicious. Where could they be? His mind draws over a dozen conclusions and he almost misses Iruka-sensei leaving - "I'm off to the staffroom, Naruto. Don't go anywhere until the rest of your team has returned, alright." - his hand lifting to give a simple thumbs up.
"But - can't it wait?! Please! I don't want to do it now… Why can't I do it later? But - No - I don't -" From the window, Naruto can hear someone talking. Which he finds intriguing seeing as how the classroom is on the second floor of the academy. Whoever it is would have to be an excellent climber or flying if they were outside the window.
Unless it's a ghost! Or a talking animal! He's bubbling with excitement. Jumping out of his seat Naruto rushes towards the other side of the classroom. He's startled back as something sweet and fluffy is shoved in his face.
What?
"Here. These are for you." A voice says as the fluffy objects, which he slowly realises are flowers, are pushed further into his face. He sneezes as they tickle his nose and catches a glimpse of pink behind it. What is that? A… Fairy… He questions confused. Why is a fairy giving him flowers? Slowly he reaches out to grasp them.
"Sasuke-kun said that I wasn't nice to you so I got you these flowers. I went to Senju Forest to get them for you. They have really pretty flowers there. Have you ever been to Senju Forest? I go there all the time. It's quiet, and fun and the animals are all really cute and kind. Sasuke-kun doesn't like it though. He says the shrubs always make him sleepy so he goes to the Lake to play. Do you like playing?"
When the flowers - an array of orange lilies and white daisies with some red poppies, wrapped in a sheet of white paper - are no longer blocking his field of vision he sees that it isn't some random fairy giving him flowers but the same fairy who is to be his teammate - Sakura, he remembers, her name is Sakura.
"Ah-" He's nervous, his voice is stuck in his throat. "Ah… Thank you very much!" He ends up shouting in her face.
Sakura has to make a visible effort not to run and jump on him - she's been told many times that that isn't okay - and instead twists the beads around her waist over her knuckles. She mutters under her breath for at least a full minute before exhaling and saying with a very strained voice:
"You-are wel-come."
Naruto grins. And then the door to the classroom slides open and they all scatter.
Author's Notes: This story is stuck in my head, I'm just going to try and see how it goes.
There are no pairings in this story, just very strong friendship and platonic-partnerships. I feel the need to point this out for anyone who may dislike or like a pairing and are interpreting certain interactions as romance - I understand if you are. I'm just trying to make the relationships between characters display different bonds with different strengths and actions that suit their characteristics. This is mostly about bonding and growing.
In addition this will contain certain Canon elements in regards to relationships. Such as Naruto hating Sasuke and pining after Sakura. These are things I've always actually liked about the Team Seven dynamic, mostly because they all eventually grow out/adapt/ or evolve from the feelings they originally held.
Also, in response to Suzululu4moe: Sakura and Ino aren't really friends. Sakura's beloved friend is someone else... This is where the Canon element applies as the aspect of their 'dreams' are still the same. Hokage. Vengeance. And squealing. Sorry if this disappoints. As for the Hyūgas they have the same opinion as everybody else. He's crazy.
Thank you, read, comment, and enjoy - or don't, your choice.
