"Talking"
"Thoughts"
"Flashback"
Disclaimer: I don't own any thing but my OC.
AN: Yeah! My second chapter is up I am so happy(). Anyway I am not sure when Naruto and the other started school but I decided to just start them at 4. If anyone knows what age they really started let me know.
Chapter 2: A New Home
"How much longer do I have to be here?" Anxious blue eyes kept darting from the clock to the teacher and then back to the clock. It has been a few weeks since the fateful meeting between Naruto and San, and life for Naruto couldn't be any better. It is true that he still got beat up by the villagers but now he had someone who actually cared if he got hurt and was there to always heal his wounds.
"Come on you stupid clock! Move faster!" "NARUTO, Pay attention!" With a startled jump Naruto turned his gaze back to the front and tried his best to sit still. Laughing warily with a hand behind his head Naruto said, "Sorry Iruka-sensei I'll pay more attention now." Signing quietly Iruka could only nod his head and went back to the assignment.
Shortly afterwards the school bell ringed signaling the end to another school day for the future ninja's of Konoha. Iruka watched with a smile as he watched his students leave for the day, but when his gaze reached a certain blond hair head he stopped and frowned. It was common knowledge that Naruto always had trouble paying attention in class, preferring to sleep or play jokes, but lately he was so out of focus that it began to make Iruka very worried.
"Naruto could you stay behind for a moment." Surprised Naruto only nodded his head and walked to the front of Iruka's desk.
After the last student left Iruka turned to Naruto, "Naruto is everything okay?" "Of course Iruka-sensei, why wouldn't be?"
"Well, you haven't been paying attention more so than usual so I was starting to get worried." Iruka watched as Naruto smiled one of the brightest smiles he had ever seen him smile.
"You don't need to worry Iruka-sensei I just been busy and there is a lot of stuff for me to do today." Iruka didn't looked convinced but knew that Naruto wouldn't tell him anything more.
"Well in that case I better let you go so you can finish whatever it is that you need to do. Just make sure to pay attention tomorrow okay." With that said Iruka watched as a hyper Naruto ran out of his classroom.
"I'm still worried Naruto hasn't been acting like himself lately. I think I will discuss this with the Hokage." With a nod to himself Iruka set out to the Hokage Tower to inform the Hokage of Naruto's strange behavior.
Meanwhile…
"I'm late… I'm late, I hope San won't be mad at me!" Running as fast as his little legs could carry him, Naruto was racing to the waterfall clearing where San lived. They had been meeting everyday since the day they first met only talking, playing jokes and teaching each other new tricks.
San had a vast knowledge of the forest and made sure to teach Naruto everything there was to know so if he ever needed help all he had to do was call on the forest and Naruto showed San how to read and write. For fear of losing his only friend Naruto never told anyone about San, thinking if the villagers every knew about her they would hurt her as they did him.
"I'll never let that happen. I will protect San and I'll make sure no one ever lays a finger on her for as long as I live!" declared Naruto as he stepped into the clearing.
"There you are! I was wondering why you weren't here at the usual time." San said smiling as she stepped out from behind the waterfall. "Sorry about that, I got held up in class but I'm here now so let's get started." Placing his bag down beside him Naruto opened his bag and took out a book.
"So what are we going to do today?" San asked as she sat beside Naruto looking at the object he was holding in his hands. "Well, I wanted to read you the story of the Fourth Hokage. He was the greatest ninja of them all and someday I will be just like him only stronger." Naruto said as he opened the book, but unknown to the two children they were being watched by a pair of old eyes that showed great happiness before they vanished.
Hokage Tower
No matter how many times he came here Iruka always felt like a child, why he did not know but there was something about this building that seemed so full of knowledge that it would make anyone feel like that. Shaking himself out of his thought Iruka walked the sectaries desk and asked to see the Hokage.
"I'm sorry the Hokage is not in right now can I take a message?" "No I'll just wait for him here thank you."
Only after finishing his sentence the doors opened and entered the Hokage. "Good evening Iruka, I take it that you wanted to see me." "Yes lord Hokage it's about Naruto."
"I see, please come into my office." Following the Hokage Iruka shut the doors and then took a seat in front of the desk. "Now what is it you wanted to tell me about Naruto?"
"Well, for starters Naruto hasn't been pulling any pranks in the past few weeks and while I know that is a good thing it just isn't the way Naruto is and what is even more unusual Naruto pays less attention in class than he usually does. I am worried about him."
When Iruka lifted his head up to see the Hokage's reaction he didn't expect to see a smiling face, a worried face yes but a smiling one no.
"Is that all you have to report Iruka?" "Yes lord Hokage" Iruka said still stuned. "Well you can be rest assured that there is nothing wrong with Naruto", said the smiling Hokage.
Iruka continued to look at him hoping for an explanation. "Naruto it seems has made an interesting friend and has been visiting her everyday for the past few weeks. Like you I too began to worry after seeing his weird behavior and I decided to find out what could have happened to him. So I followed and discovered that he found a way to sneak outside the city walls and get into the forest. In a clearing that is a bit far from here he meets a little girl around his age and has been teaching her how to read and write."
"A friend, all this time he has been seeing a little girl." Having nothing to reply Iruka just sat there thinking. "What are we going to do? Naruto cannot continue to go outside the city walls it is too dangerous for him and the city. Any enemy could follow Naruto and sneak into the city."
"Yes I have thought of that and I have come to a decision that will be carried out tomorrow. For now do not worry I intend to meet Naruto and his friend to have a talk I will inform you about what happens afterwards."
"Yes lord Hokage, thank you." With a solute Iruka turned and made his way home thinking about these new turn of events.
---Next Day---
"Another beautiful Saturday" Thought the Hokage as he waited by the wall for Naruto to come. There was no school today so Sarutobi thought he would get here early to catch Naruto before he went through the secret tunnel. It was morning and everyone was waking up from a long peaceful sleep. Sarutobi figured after seeing Naruto's expression yesterday that he would be here early. "He should be here any minute now." After finishing that thought Sarutobi looked up and saw a speeding body heading his way.
Just as Naruto came close to his secret exit he noticed a tall form standing next to the bushes that covered the tunnel. There stood the Hokage with his hands behind his back and dressed in his Hokage attire. With a nervous gulp Naruto walked closer with caution fearing the reason the Hokage was standing there.
"Good morning Naruto I have been waiting for you." The Third said with a gentle smile on his face. "I have something very important to discuss with you and your little friend."
Surprised at hearing this statement Naruto began to feel a speck of fear in his stomach. "How do know about San?" he asks as he walked towards the Hokage. "Damn it, I was sure that no one noticed me sneaking out of here or when I was walking in the forest."
"I was worried about the way you were acting so I decided to investigate, only to find out that you made an interesting new friend." Seeing Naruto's fearful expression Sarutobi only smiled and tried to ease his fears. "Do not worry Naruto, I only want to talk to both of you about something. Why don't we take a shortcut to the clearing then we can sit down and have our talk okay." With a small nod from the child Sarutobi picked him up and speed over the wall and through the forest.
A few minutes later Naruto finds himself in front of the clearing with the Hokage stand by his side. They walked into the clearing and waited for San to appear, "Where is she? Usually she comes out as soon as I get here."
"Naruto is that you?" Turning around to face the waterfall pond he sees a small head sticking out from behind one of the large rocks that laid half submerged in the water.
"Yes it's me San. Sorry I took so long but old man Hokage wanted to come and meet you." Naruto saw how nervous she was so he smiled and slowly walked towards her. He helped her out of the water and brought her to stand in front of the Third, who was watching the scene with great interest.
Sarutobi could tell that this girl was special as soon as he saw her. She had an aura of pure innocents and had eyes that glowed with great wisdom and knowledge that a four year old should not have. Before he could study her more, Sarutobi noticed her starting to become nervous and decided to ease her fears.
"So you are San, it is nice to finally meet you." The Third said as he bent down to her level to shake her hand. "Naruto has been disappearing a lot lately and I was wondering why that was but I can see why now." Sarutobi said with a soft smile on his face.
Sensing no evil from the man San smiled brightly at him and reached out to shake his hand. "Hello old man Hokage, Naruto told me a lot about you. That you are the boss of the village and that you have a perverted orange book hidden in your top drawer in your desk and all kinds of other stuff."
"How did he know about that!" Sarutobi only shake his head deciding to investigate later on how Naruto even got in his office. "Well why don't we get down to business, I came here today to talk to you both about something very important."
"As you know since I am the Hokage it is my job to make sure that no harm befalls on our village. I must do whatever I can to make sure that no one can get in or out of our village without us knowing, so I have come to the decision to cover up the hole Naruto has been using to get out of the village." Sarutobi paused here and waited for the coming outburst, he did not have to wait long.
"WHAT! You're pulling my leg old man. If you do that then I won't be able to see San anymore. You can't do it I won't let you." Naruto said all this with a look of determination.
The Third only smiled, "I knew you would say that Naruto and I don't plan on separating you from your friend that is the reason for me visiting today." All he received was a confused face. "Let me explain, I was thinking that if San were to live in our village then you wouldn't need to use that hole for you would have no reason to go there anymore."
"That would be great old man, I would get to see San whenever I wanted to! What do you think San?"
The said girl remained quiet through the whole conversation, just watching and absorbing everything that was being said. After thinking about all she had heard she finally gave her opinion, "If I was to live in the village where would I stay? I doubt I would be able to live with Naruto."
"Well my plan was to adopt you as my daughter if you decided to live in our village. My wife and I always wanted a girl of our own, but we ended up only having two boys. Now that my wife is gone I thought I would never have a daughter, but you do remind me a bit of my wife and myself when we were young. So what do you say San, would you like to live with me?"
San took a minute to think about his offer. "If I don't accept his offer I'll never be able to see Naruto again, but if I do accept his offer I'll half to leave the forest and live around humans which from what I have seen not all of them are trustworthy. This man the Hokage looks trustworthy and I can see that he really does care."
As the minutes went by Naruto was beginning to think that she would refuse until she finally spoke. "All right, I will come and live in the village with you but under one condition."
"What would that be?" The Third asked with a gentle smile, for he was happy to help Naruto keep his friend and to be given a chance to finally have a daughter of his own.
"I want to be able to see Naruto whenever I want to, does that sound okay." The Third just nodded his head showing that he had no problem with her request. "Before we leave let us get to know each other a bit more." Sarutobi sensing that this would take some time decided to sit on a tree stump that near him.
For the next few hours San told the Hokage everything there was to know about her. How she could do magic like flying to making things appear out of thin air. What really caught his attention was her ability to fight and call forth demons.
"So you are telling me that you know all the fighting styles that exist and have mastered them all!" The Third practically yelled from shock. San nodded her head at him. Sarutobi could not believe the abilities this child had within her. "She holds great power that surpasses my own, not only does she know every jutsus known in the ninja world but she has mastered them and all marital art styles known to man."
"I do not know why I can do these things and I never really left the forest except when I moved here. I was raised by the demons who rule the Ancient Forest that is in the center of the Abandon Mountains."
"That is quite far from here. It would take about a month to get from there to here. Tell me why did you leave the forest?"
"I was forced to leave because humans started coming into the forest and they seemed like they were only after me. They destroyed everything in their path and kill whatever got in their way. The demon leader told me to leave the forest and wait in hiding for a couple of weeks then to come back. When I left I was away for 3 weeks before I returned to the forest. Unfortunately the day I returned so did the humans, having no choice I left to keep the forest safe and that is how I got here."
"I see, I am sorry for your loss and I hope that you can find a new home in our village." The Third said as he smiled at her with kindness. San couldn't help but smile back at him, "I think I have found my new home."
"Hey old man I think we need to get back to the village, it is already past noon." Naruto said as he pointed at the sky. The Third looked up and noticed he was right, they had been talking for quite awhile now.
"Looks like I will have more paperwork than usual to do tomorrow." Sarutobi let out a tired sigh as he thought about the downside to being Hokage. "Well, why don't we head to the village now? San is there anything that you need before we go?" The Third asked as he stood up and dusted off his cloths.
San thought for a moment before jumping up and running into the cave. Moments later she stepped out carry a small brown pouch. "I'm ready!" San yelled as she ran towards them.
Picking up both children the third raced back towards the village listening to their conversation. After a few minutes of running they saw the village gate come into view, slowing down in front of the gate Sarutobi gently set the children down and walked towards the entrance.
"Lord Hokage we didn't know that you were out here, the council has been looking for you all day. Who is that you have with you?" The guard asked as soon as the Hokage cam into earring range.
"This is San, she is going to become a member of our village and my adopted daughter." The Hokage said placing a hand on top San's head.
"Where did you find her?" The guard asked while he his gazed turned to the strange girl in front of him. "I didn't find her Naruto did, apparently Naruto found away to sneak out of the village where he met up with his new friend."
The guard switched his gaze to the silent boy that was standing next to the girl. He was holding her hand and seemed to be guarding her. "Well we must go it has been a long day for us."
Lightly pushing the two children in front of him they all walked into the village and went to drop Naruto off at home. "Come on old man can't I stay with San, please!" Naruto begged, he didn't want to leave his friend alone inside the village for he feared that she would be hurt by the people in the village that had always hurt him.
"She will be fine Naruto, you can come to see her tomorrow and spend the day together, I promise." The Third said trying to calm the child with no success. Seeing the problem San quickly went to the rescue. "Don't worry about me Naruto I will be fine, I can beat up anybody that tries to hurt me. Plus I have the Hokage with so no one will try anything. Goodnight." After finishing San leaned over and kissed Naruto on the cheek making him go stiff and his face turning red.
Placing a hand on his cheek Naruto only nodded his head and went into his apartment to shocked and embarrassed to say anything. Sarutobi could hardly hold in his laugh as he watched the scene play out in front of him. That was the first time he had ever seen Naruto quiet and it was all over a kiss on the cheek.
"It looks like someone has a crush." The Third gently grabbed San hand and lead her to her new home. Smiling the whole way San couldn't but think, "I think I have finally found my true home."
An: I know I am not the best writer in the world but I hope that you enjoyed the story. I will be trying to update as soon as I can so bear with me. Thanks again for reviewing my story.