Disclaimer: Don't own any of the manga or anime I base my stories off of: Naruto and Prince of Tennis.
Enjoy this latest installment! I'm on spring break so hopefully I get some more chapters out this week before going back to class!
Author's Note:As far as I can tell, there are four kinds of Japanese bills: 10,000 yen, 5,000 yen, 2,000 yen, and 1,000 yen. There are six kinds of coins: 500 yen, 100 yen, 50 yen, 10 yen, 5 yen, and 1 yen.
This is regular conversation.
These are thoughts.
These are demonic/bijuu voices.
-"Into the Abyss"-Chapter 2-
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"And this is where you'll be staying from now on, Naruto." Hiruzen huffed before taking a puff of his pipe. The small girl beside him quietly observed the empty house. It was small but suitable for one occupant. It was a one story house with a spacious backyard. Trees outlined the perimeter and there was a small pond in the far left corner.
Inside the house, there were seven rooms in total: the kitchen, living room, master bedroom, two extra rooms, and two bathrooms. The master bedroom had a connecting bathroom while the kitchen opened up to the living room. Two wide windows in the living room revealed the backyard scenery as the sunlight hit through the glass and brightened the area.
"Is there anyone else living nearby?" The girl asked softly. It seemed that she didn't want to raise her hopes of having neighbors near her. She was either worried that they might be nice to her, or worse, treat her like a monster. It was hard to tell when her face was facing the floor and away from the observant Hokage.
"No. It seems that you're the only occupant around this area. This area has been abandoned for some time" He replied with some reluctance. After all, she was barely four and a half, and yet, he was allowing for her to live by herself. The orphanage has proven to be unreliable and no foster homes will continue to take her in for long periods of time. Damn it, Minato. If only you could see the village that you saved now. How disappointed you would be. The Sandaime thought while smoking his pipe. "Although you are young, I'm hoping that you prove responsible enough to live by yourself."
Naruto looked up at the man she considered family and gave a hidden grin. The action was still noticeable behind the mask though. "Come on, Jiji. I lived on my own in the forest before anyone realized it. I think I can handle it now with real power and water!"
The Sandaime chuckled before handing her the present he had bought. "Consider this a housewarming gift."
The blond girl 'oohed' and 'awed' before taking the gift. She hurriedly opened it. It was actually not one but two separate gifts. The top box had a blue comforter, some fluffy blankets, and two soft pillows while the bottom held books. As she read the titles to herself silently, the Hokage continued to speak.
"'Eventually you'll be entering the Academy. So I thought it wouldn't be such a bad idea if you received the books now to start preparing." He said and waited for her to pay attention to him once more before continuing. "It's going to get colder again soon so I figured you'd like some extra blankets and pillows to snuggle up to."
Naruto smiled so widely that her eyes became squinted. She ran up to her grandfather and gave him a tight hug. "Thank you! I'll take good care of them!"
"Ah. But before I forget," Hiruzen muttered. "This is a gift from Inuzuka Tsume. She's the one who found you that time."
Naruto looked quizzically at him. "The wild looking lady with the dog?"
"Yes. She heard that I was assigning this land to you and bought a gift for you as well." He said before finding the exact scroll that held the gift on his persons. Once he did, he released the storage scroll; several books appeared after the smoke cleared.
"Tsume-san had heard that you liked to read so she gathered these books. Her exact words were, I think, 'If the pup is going to live by herself, she might as well learn how to do so properly.'" the Sandaime finished with a chuckle.
The blond jinchuriki tuned out his ramblings as she picked up the unexpected present: How to Cook a Simple Meal: Konoha Style!, Caring for Your Own Garden: Vol. 1 & 2, Do's and Don'ts of Housecleaning, and finally, Money Management for Dummies. Naruto clutched the books to her chest. There is someone who doesn't hate me! She thought before her eyes started to tear up. Naruto's sniffling caught the Hokage's attention and his eyes widen in alarm before scooping up his surrogate granddaughter in concern.
"I thought you'd be happy?"
"I am!" Naruto responded before wiping her nose on her sleeve. "It's just that I'm too happy."
Sarutobi softened his face when he realized what his charge was feeling. "You know, Naruto. Not everyone hates you. It's just that a lot of them are confused and unsure of what's really the truth."
"Then why do they hate me? Do you know Jiji?"
The Sandaime looked sadly at her before replying. "I'm sorry Naruto, but you're too young to know. One day, in the future, I'll tell you."
Naruto nodded before nuzzling her grandfather's cheek. Then she motioned for him to let her down. After reaching into his pocket one last time, Sarutobi took out a packet and gave it to Naruto. The girl opened it to and saw several bills in it.
"You'll receive a monthly stipend from the Konoha Orphan Fund. This is the first. Use it wisely." He ruffled her head before speaking again. "Don't worry about the electricity or water bill. I've already handled that for the first year. We'll speak again after that."
Naruto nodded dumbfound. Seeing that his tasks were completed, the Hokage gave the girl one last hug before leaving. There were still stacks of paperwork to handle after all.
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The next day, the sun shone brightly through the curtains and woke a certain sleeping blond. Slowly, Naruto's eyes began to open and she was slightly puzzled as to where she was at until the events from the previous day were remembered.
"That's right," she whispered excitedly, "I've got my own place now."
She jumped out of her bed and ran to the bathroom. She hesitantly turned the knob of the faucet, half-unsure if any water would appear. It did. This isn't a dream! I really have my own place now! The girl hurriedly brushed her teeth and washed her face before heading into the living room.
The area was sparse with the books received the day before spread out on the floor. Her small bundle of belongings was set against the wall. Naruto arched an eyebrow at the two unfamiliar boxes near the small couch that came with the pre-furnished house. With a carefulness suited for a suspicious, adult ninja, Naruto warily opened the boxes to reveal clothing that were in her size. The note on top allayed her suspicions.
"Your wardrobe seems a bit lacking so here's a few additional outfits to add to it. Sandaime"
Inside one of the boxes were three green t-shirts, two long-sleeve red ones, and two blue tees with the Uzumaki swirl on it. Underneath them were some undergarments, five pants, and three shorts. There were no skirts or dresses. Jiji knows me so well. In the second box, there was a pair of ninja sandals and boots. The sandals were the standard blue and the boots black.
After picking up her clothes, she stacked her books beside her on the table and started to read them. Her attention was so into the books that she didn't notice time passing by until it was well into the night. Having been used to irregular feeding times, i.e. not being fed, Naruto barely noticed her hunger and ate a ramen cup out of habit before heading to sleep.
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"It's almost been a week since I've started living here and I'm still cleaning!" Naruto complained before pulling out yet another weed out of her backyard. Luckily for her, the front yard was pretty small, but the backyard more than made up for it! Her grumbling was interrupted by a knock on her door and some unfamiliar chakra signatures. Looks like reading and practicing the academy books are actually starting to help. Who knew learning about chakra could actually be fun? Naruto thought before making her way to the door. She opened it and saw a tall man with a scar on his face. His hair was up in a ponytail and his hand was holding a basket.
"Hello. You must be Uzumaki Naruto." The man said. "I'm Nara Shikaku."
Naruto nodded hesitantly in reply but did not offer the man inside. She wasn't too sure of his intentions and she was ready to close the door on him at any time.
Shrewd eyes catalogued the girl's wary behavior and thought it disappointing for one so young to be so suspicious. So unlike that lazy kid of mine, Shikamaru. Shikaku mentally sighed before speaking again. "Hokage-sama told me that you had bought the neighboring land next to ours." Seeing the puzzled look on her face, the Nara head explained, "The next direct neighbor to you is the Nara clan. However, we own and tend to large acres of forest so it's not even possible to spot our houses due to the surrounding trees."
Naruto nodded once more before asking him what he was doing here.
"This is a welcoming gift." The deer man said. "Tsume-san told me what she gave you so here's some seeds and stuff for your garden."
Naruto hesitantly grabbed the basket and thanked him. Before taking his leave, Shikaku gave one last parting statement to her. "If you ever feel bored, come by for a visit."
The small child stood in her doorway for a little longer watching the man leave. She was still standing there long after Shikaku left the premises of her property. When a slightly chilly breeze blew towards her, Naruto broke out of her daze and went back inside her house. The blond jinchuriki looked at the basket and the seed packets inside: strawberry, watermelon, cucumber, tomato, pumpkin, lettuce, onions, spinach, potato, and beets. Naruto's eyes widened when she realized she wouldn't have to buy the nearly rotten fruits from the stores ever again. She could actually eat well for a change! She clutched her newfound bounty and cried a little more. Maybe there is more to this village than I thought. Maybe there are more people out there that don't hate me! Naruto sniffled before returning to the backyard. She renewed her efforts to clear the area of weeds in order to start her garden as soon as possible. It's like these weeds are in league with the paperwork monsters in Jiji's office or something. She giggled to herself.
As she hummed to herself, the day passed by quietly. Meanwhile, the hidden anbu quietly left his post when his replacement came and reported to the Hokage about the meeting.
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Inside the seal, a kitsune watched and waited and grinned. Very interesting.
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That's it for chapter 2!
Naruto learns that there's more than one type of Konoha villager out there and that not all of them hate her! She's been exposed to both the Inuzuka and Nara clan even though it's only just Tsume and Shikaku. (This is for future development). And now Kyuubi is awake and rearing to go. Oh no, what is going to happen next?
Reading and Reviewing is always appreciated. Flames are not necessary and no one is making you read this. Constructive criticism is okay though.
Updated 3-8-11