Chapter 8 - Catching up to Time
Time Skip~
I was never a fan of irony.
"Welcome to Yamanaka Flower Shop. How can I help you?"
I bet you didn't expect that, huh? Yeah, me neither.
Moving on from the fact that I worked at the place of someone I was avidly scared of, it's a miracle itself that I hadn't ran away screaming bloody murder.
I probably knew the reason. That any other place would've rejected me from my lack of 'grace', so to speak.
Which is basically a nicer term for clumsiness.
A few months had passed after the horrifying experience of going to the Academy. I had actively avoided going near the area, but that hadn't stopped trouble coming to me, though.
On another note, I now knew the reason why Mizuki and I apparently had a mutual 'hate at first sight' moment.
Apparently, as you can guess that Mizuki was one of Orochi-chan spies that I- the original kid- had briefly saw in a meeting between those two, you could say the kid probably was at the wrong place, at the wrong time.
Anyway, Mizuki was beyond livid to see the kid he had brutally murdered -(abuse actually, Narrator-san). Not that he knew he had unintentionally killed the kid, and a day before I got here too- alive and kicking.
How did I know any of this? Well let's just say with a surge of pain and a lot of cursing (on my part), a few memories from this body transfer to my... mind? mentalscape? Whatever it is you want to name it.
Yeah, not a fun experience either, and also probably the reason why I could 'magically' talk and write another language I barely even understood before.
In any case, that's over and done with. We could move past the traumatic details, like how I had went through unimaginable pain in the process.
The drawback of remembering it? The body I've currently inhabited had reacted way too violently for my liking whenever it sensed Mizuki nearby.
Damn instinct.
I frowned. Watching the memories is like watching a show from a flat screen TV. A HD one. You know? No? Anyways, the difference is you couldn't do a damn thing, because what had happened, happened already.
I should fear the man now. It's only logical, right? Wrong. I could only feel deep seated hatred and disgust. Though I'm uncertain whether it's my own feeling, the kid's, or mix of both. I'll never know.
"Oi, Grumpy!"
I grunted.
"Done with work yet? It's boooring, Shika and the others are busy getting ready for the exam from their family."
Naruto whined and complained.
Oh, that's why I haven't seen the dev-Inoichi-san in the past few days.
"Just need to settle a few things before I finish."
"Yay... The joy of waiting."
Chuckling, I glance back at Naruto from my task.
"Since when did you learn to be so sarcastic, Naruto?"
"While hanging out with the three most sarcastic people I had the pleasure to befriend. It's bound to happen, isn't it?"
Naruto's way of words had been moderately and slowly fixed by Shikamaru, and I don't doubt it will continue to improve. A few months of influence from the others had subdued Naruto more so than I could imagine.
Though the underlying tone of rudeness while talking to strangers doesn't seem to change as much, you could say it's starting to lean more towards forced politeness.
He also added some backhanded comment which left the villagers speechless more than once.
Somehow I couldn't help but grin at the memory.
xxFlashbackxx
"Thank you."
A sneer.
"I don't need thanks from a demon."
I was about to butt in, but Naruto cut me off.
"It's okay, even a demon know basic courtesy, so that would make you lower than a demon, ne?"
I gape as Naruto grabs my hand and walks away. I look back and see the old bastard is gaping too.
xxEnd of Flashbackxx
It was awesome, because I don't actually remember Naruto ever sassing a villager before in the manga or anime.
Naruto looks at me and he looks pretty creeped out.
"Stop grinning... It's weird..."
"Why?"
He flails both of his hands around as if trying to reach something.
"It just is!"
He ends lamely.
"Dobe, stop being an idiot."
Naruto swivels his head to look at the newcomer.
"Teme? What are you doing here?"
Welp, better finish off some of the stuff.
Anyway, surprised? Sasuke's apparently very close to Naruto. I'm not sure how they became friends, but that's mostly what I could deduce from the vague explanation of the tight lipped Naruto.
It's after a few weeks of the Uchiha Massacre that they met, and the rest is history, I guess.
"Hn."
"Stop it." a glare.
"Hn."
"I'm not slow! It's because grumpy is just clumsy!"
Sasuke glances at me and looks back at Naruto.
"Hn." he promptly walks into the shop. A snicker from Naruto enlightened me that Sasuke had just insulted me.
"You know Sasuke, just because I don't understand Uchiha 'hn' doesn't mean I don't feel insulted at your insults."
He answers me with a smirk. That brat. These kids are an ache to my head.
I sigh and let the other two walk in front since they can get violent whenever they want to.
I'm not an idiot to stand in the middle of that. My fragile, boney figure won't last if I give them a chance to be intimate with Naruto's punches and Sasuke's kicks.
"Anyway, what do you guys want for dinner?"
After a few weeks of accommodating in this world, I later learned that Naruto often plays outside because he doesn't like being alone in the apartment much.
But since Shikamaru and the others more often than not like to laze around, Naruto thinks it would be a very good idea to crash uninvitedly into my apartment.
Since, apparently, I need to socialize more. It kills two cockroaches in one spray!
Naruto's words, not mine.
The others later on learnt that I only went to the Academy because of a misunderstanding. Moving on, Sasuke first impression of the group is... enough to make him warry.
He doesn't trust them (or me for that matter), but since Naruto had anything but dragged the boy into the group, everyone just followed the blonde pace. No one protested.
"Ramen!"
"Rice ball." at the same time, Naruto excitedly shouts while Sasuke mutters.
A twitch.
"Guys... Don't you both need proper nutrition for the exams?"
"Ramen and rice balls are healthy!"
They both glare at each other.
"Ma, forget I ever asked."
They both continue to banter back and forth about some other menial things. It never occurred to me that time probably already showed that I had gotten used to them, and it's going to be hard when the time comes to leave this dimension.
A/N: *hold up hands* I have no excuses, life and work catching up. *twitch* anywaaaay this chapter pretty mundane~ and from here on daily life arc had started! forgive me! also notice a slight change on writing ? xD no? nvm *sulk* ehem and thank so much whom fav and follows also thanks for the review *throws cookies for u awesome ppl*
BETA -Maple