Sorry for the long delay guys. And sorry I didn't reply any of you reviews… I deserve to be punished…
But I did type this out, right?? uh, I feel guilty. I shan't keep you any longer.
Dozo.
Of course, disclaimers apply.
Voices of a Distant Star
CHAPTER 4
Spring was ending late into summer with the flowers still bright and blooming in the breeze. The weather was almost picturesque with the clear blue sky and sparse, white cottony clouds that dotted the monotony. Yet, Konoha was almost lethargic in its activity. The rare dark alley was void of the random stray cat—
During our third summer in Junior High…
And even the usual streets were empty under the warm heat of the sun.
A classmate, Uchiha Sasuke, was chosen to join the UN Space Force.
In a lone convenient store, perhaps the only activity went on. Small beeps broke the heavy silence in the store as its cashier scanned the barcode of a bottle of water. His customer stared blankly at the actions as he waited.
That winter…
The said customer suddenly broke from his stare.
A giant fleet manned by more than a thousand crew…
His blue eyes widened as they read the title of a magazine in its rack – 'The Tharsian Expeditions Special Report'.
…left Earth on a journey to discover more about the Tharsians.
"Excuse me, can I have this too?"
Although the sudden intrusion startled the cashier, he took the magazine without complaint. It was hard enough getting customers these days, it seemed. Even the smallest amount of things sold counted.
-line-
A year has passed.
Naruto looked at the magazine in his hands patiently as the loud clanging of the warning bells echoed around him. One hand held his bicycle still as he waited for the coming train to pass. Currently though, he was staring at a picture of quite an interesting view of a planet. When his mobile let out its melodious cry, he wasted no time taking it out. Only one thought came to him as he opened the received message. It's from Sasuke…
Dobe, you're doing fine, I hope? We are finally leaving Jupiter.
Another patient silence fell over the blonde as his blue eyes scanned through the words. His face was strangely solemn.
The Lysithea will be traveling way beyond Pluto.
A sharp whistle of fast moving air signaled the train's arrival.
My messages are going to take a much longer time to reach you.
Another, stronger gust followed after as the train rushed past.
From the edges of Oort cloud alone, they'll take six months…
Pink lips part unexpectedly to quote the last of the message.
"It'll be like the airmail they had in the twentieth century. Yeah, we'll be okay."
Abrupt silence. Tanned hands clutched tight around the obnoxiously orange device.
"…Like hell we will…"
And the safe fence lifted automatically from the blonde's path like an empty echo.
-line-
The messages went back and forth between me and Sasuke(1)…and in the blink of an eye, my first semester in Senior High was over.
-line-
Like a routine, the Kendo Club of Anbu Senior High readied to clear up after their day practice. A certain blonde guzzled water from his bottle greedily, then pulled at his towel in the locker. As he lifted it to his head to wipe himself off, his blue eyes fell on an uncannily hidden orange. Without much thought – as though it were second nature, even – he picked the device in his hands and proceeded to press the familiar sequence of buttons. His fingers froze at the words on the small screen.
You have…
They struck a hollow chord in him.
…no new messages.
-line-
The warm breeze of spring-summer now blew through his hair as he cycled home. Of course, the 'he' refers to our current favourite blonde, Uzumaki Naruto. Contrary to his blank face, thoughts were filling his mind.
The further from Earth Sasuke is…
Absently, he turned to his side – where he had his second sighting of a spaceship. It seemed so long ago now.
…the longer our messages take to reach each other.
He was home. As per his routine, he sat at his study table to do just that – study. It didn't take long to deviate his attention though, and a small orange device caused it.
Day in, day out…
Unable to pull his eyes away from it, he picked it up and allowed his fingers to go through its own routine-like sequence with the mobile. Its quiet beeps seemed to be preparing him for what he just knew he should expect. Still, it hit him with the same hard hollow feeling as before.
You have no new messages.
The small screen was unfeeling in its news and only stared as blankly back at him.
-line-
All I do is wait for some word from Sasuke…
-line-
As accustomed, as the weather was those days, it was warm and overall very fine. The skies were clear and just the right type of breeze had taken up its play.
"That you, Naruto?"
The blonde paused from his slightly dazed walk home to turn towards the caller. His eyes fell on a familiar brown haired youth. The youth walked up to him and grinned, looking almost dog-like.
"Dude, how long has it been?"
Naruto couldn't help but grin back his excitement at meeting an old friend again. He answered the question with another of his own. "Since graduation?"
They started walking back – they lived close to each other, they remembered – chatting amiably all the way. Kiba glanced at the blonde's uniform now. "So you're in Anbu High, eh?"
Naruto only grinned wider as the other youth went on.
"If the school's great, the uniform must look cool, eh?"
"Nah, no such thing."
Another random question, that Kiba was known to be fond off, now shot itself towards the smiling blonde. The said blonde didn't bother to answer until the brunette beside him had ended himself with a statement.
"What's that? 'The Tharsian Expeditions'? Sounds boring."
Naruto couldn't help but be surprised. "Yeah?" – unconsciously, he wanted to rile the other's interest to it as well. "Remember Uchiha? He's with the expedition. So I thought I'd do some reading up on it."
There was a moment of silence as Kiba thought. "…Oh, right."
The youth's next few words made Naruto strangely cold.
"I guess I remember him…kinda…"
He started again when Kiba continued.
"It's got nothing to do with us anyway. I sorta forgot."
A puzzled frown settled on his handsome features. "…Nothing to do with us?"
"Yeah! Absolutely nothing, right? I mean, he's not even on Earth!"
Again, that same cold feeling. He was barely listening to the other as his thoughts turned inwards. He really wasn't expecting this.
"And even if those superheroes or whatever make some Earth-shattering discovery, it's not like our lives are gonna change dramatically, right? It'll be ages before they do, anyway. What matters is here and now.
Anyway, I chatted up this babe from XXX High the other day…"
Kiba turned to the quiet Naruto, not even suspecting the boy's lack of noise.
"And we're getting together with her girlfriends. You wanna tag along?"
It was only then that the slightly taller teen realized his blonde friend had not been listening all along. And despite the many calls made to him, Naruto could not be bothered to turn. He was too deep in his thoughts.
-line-
I didn't know why, but a wave of sympathy for Sasuke washed over me.
-line-
Later on the day, Naruto found himself sitting in silence in the smallish shelter of the old bus stop, his mobile in his hand. His fingers pressed its buttons almost robotically. His patience was endless as he waited for the device to run its program. He barely felt a thing when it finally showed its result on its screen.
You have no new messages.
Perhaps, the only thing to be seen of his inner turmoil was his dropping posture.
-line-
The next day in school, he found himself watching two students chatting with each other from his classroom's open window. Despite the two being of the opposite gender and looking more like they were flirting, his thoughts drifted to the past – when he had once opened himself to such a thing – albeit it being someone quite similar to him….
The sudden melodious tone started him out of the thoughts. Though his face was blank, as it was growing into since the past few days, his dull blue eyes warmed and softened at the message – from Sasuke…
He finally dropped his hand. A contemplative look came over his face unexpectedly.
Yes.
The grip on his mobile was absent again.
-line-
I admit it.
Sometimes I wonder why I still keep waiting.
But even so…
-line-
Naruto was on his bike – on the way home again.
Even so, at that moment…
He caught himself turning to look at the flying coat of a student of his school.
And his thoughts turned inwards to the past.
Yet again.
-lineflashbackline-
"Look, the Anbu uniform."
Naruto turned in puzzlement to his 'passenger'. He couldn't understand the other's excitement. And it was definitely excitement – Uchiha Sasuke rarely pointed out to such trivial things as uniforms.
"Did you see it? Hn, dobe?"
Naruto smiled despite the usual lack of energy in the excited words. "Yeah."
"It looks so nice…"
The words stupefied the blonde for a moment before proceeding to melt his heart into mushy goo. They were normal things to say but unbelievably sweet from the raven's lips. His smile grew wider at the wistful look on the pale features.
"Hey…I didn't know an ice-block like you cared about stuff like that."
He laughed when the more familiar scowl coupled with a – cute – blush snapped towards him. The raven was growling as he bit out his retort. "People have their own eccentricities as well, you know."
It had been so easy to reply to the embarrassed statement at that time.
"Well, don't fret too much. You'll get to wear it."
Of course, the blonde didn't see the look of open sorrow pass the other's face. He only heard the quiet and thoughtful, "Yeah…"
-lineflashbackline-
'I'll wait for him.'
The words still rang clearly in his ears.
'I won't forget him.'
His deep blue eyes turned up to the darkening skies.
So I thought.
The small cluster of heavy clouds seemed to mirror his thoughts.
It sounds silly…
-line-
…but I meant every single word.
…to be continued…
Linelineline
(1) in case any of you are particular about grammar and the placing of words, please keep in mind that this is according to Naruto's thinking, guys…he probably wouldn't give a care about how he used his words…
BLEARGH.
I don't feel happy with this chapter. I think it's a bad chapter…don't you think so?? Sigh.
I feel disappointed.
I hope I'll do better for the next chapter.
And sorry for the long delay, guys. I promise I'll put up the next chapter as soon as possible. I'm just getting so much writer's block for the rest of my stories…it's depressing.
But I won't pass to you my depression. Keep happy, okay? Smile always!!!
:D
:watcheva:
