Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto
"Windows to the Soul"
by Chronos Astral
Chapter 1:
'Longed For'
Naruto wasn't a morning person. Having no parent or guardian to forcibly wake you up when you didn't want to was one of the perks of being alone all his life. So, to say that he was a little miffed from being nudged relentlessly by a persistent finger in the hopes that he would awaken from his slumber would quite fit the situation right now.
"Two more hours..." He mumbled to the offending poker.
"Now, now. We wouldn't want you to miss out on school." The gentle voice prodded accompanied by another poke to the boy's side.
"... I don't go to school..."
"You don't? Why not?"
"... Meh..."
"Alright then. So, what will I do with this ramen I made you? It would be such a waste..."
A click went off in Naruto's little boy brain. Ramen... Ramen!
With the speed rivaling most shinobi, Naruto sprung out from his futon, quickly registering the smell of piping hot ramen and began devouring it at an extreme pace.
Eight bowls later, the blond patted his stomach contentedly. "Hah, that was good."
"Glad you like it then."
"Thanks for the-" Naruto stopped cold upon recognizing the person before him. The blue hair, tattered clothes, and warm smile still fresh from his memories of the day before.
"AH! IT'S THE WEIRDO NII-SAN!!" The boy pointed exaggeratedly.
"Konbanwa. (Good Evening)"
"Wrong!! It's morning! Say 'Ohayo Gozaimasu' (Good Morning)!!"
"You have a very small room." The man pointed out, inspecting the shelves with great interest.
"You're ignoring me again!"
"Do I know you?"
"We met yesterday!"
"Did we? I would have remembered."
"Are you stupid or something!?" A vein popped.
"Now, now. That's no way to treat someone you've just met. Not to mention if their older than you are."
"What the hell!? I met you yesterday! You even gave me your umbrella! Besides, you're in my house!" It was very clear that Naruto was slowly, but surely, losing whatever ounce of patience he had left.
"Oh yeah? Then what's my name?"
"I don't know! You didn't tell me!"
"You know, it's really not nice to lie." The man wagged his fingers as if to lecture him.
"I'M NOT LYING DAMNIT!"
"Such foul language for a child. I would expect better from someone who had the gall to steal my umbrella."
"I DID NOT STEAL YOUR UMBRELLA!!!"
"What did I say I about lying?"
"I SAID I'M NOT LYING!!!"
A loud banging was heard from the door.
"Shut the hell up! You're noisy!" Came an angry shout from outside the building.
The blue-haired stranger shook his head in an air of disappointment. "Honestly. People are quite rude these days."
Now normally, Naruto was a tolerant person, not always by choice, considering the amount of self-control he needed in order to prevent breaking down or snapping from the daily glares and abuse. Miraculously, all that patience was being lost at an alarming pace only within a span of a few hours, courtesy of a certain stranger. How so? Here is how:
Having little to do in his own time, the blond would always wander the village, trying to find something, anything, to do for fun. It didn't help when kids ignored or picked on him because of their parents. It didn't help that he was 'forbidden' to go to any public place while it was occupied. And it certainly didn't help him that, now, the strange 'weirdo nii-san', as he liked to call him, was following him everywhere he went.
"Oi, weirdo nii-san..." Naruto called to him during his walk, the quirky man falling in step behind him.
The silence urged him to continue. "Why are you following me?"
Another silence ensued briefly before the man replied.
"I'm sorry? Were you talking to me?"
Snap!
Naruto turned heel and gave a loud cry. "OF COURSE I'M TALKIN' TO YOU-TTEBAYO!"
The boy didn't know it, but from the pent-up anger had made him leaking with killing intent. Many bystanders cringed visibly and increased their pace.
"YOU'VE BEEN FOLLOWING ME SINCE THIS MORNING!! WHAT DO YOU WANT!?"
The man scratched his chin in thought, as if having trouble coming up with an answer. This served to further grate the blond boy's nerves. "Well, seeing as I have nothing to do, I thought it would be fun following you around, Narupo."
"It's 'Naruto'!" He spat back with less force considering he was near losing his voice from all the shouting.
"Of course it is."
Silence...
"You're making fun of me, aren't you?"
"What? Me? 'Course not. I wouldn't do that to you." The man replied sweetly. Too sweetly. So sickeningly innocent that it was suspicious. The smile on his face didn't help any.
"You know, you still haven't told me your na-"
"I'm really hungry right now. Got any money?"
"What the hell!? You got some nerve freeloading off me! And stop avoiding the subjec-!"
"No money? Darn. I'm gonna have to make some somehow." He turned away from Naruto, his hand nestling his chin in a thinking pose, ignoring the boy's loud protests from behind him.
"Stop ignoring me!" Naruto launched his foot into the calf of the man's leg. He still stood absently, seemingly unaware of Naruto's assault.
"Well I'll be going now!" Gathering himself, the blue-haired stranger waved goodbye to Naruto then sprinted away.
"See ya, Naruko!"
"IT'S 'NARUTO', DATTEBAYO!!" He yelled before the man turned a corner and vanished from his sight.
"Oi, Jiji! Seven bowls of miso ramen over here!"
"Comin' right up, birthday boy!"
Naruto smiled at that. Ichiraku Teuchi would always whip him up a special birthday ramen, just for him. Being the first few to acknowledge him as a person has given him a special place in Naruto's heart, close to that of a surrogate father with Teuchi's daughter being his 'onee-chan'. A family he's always dreamed of having.
Several bowls of piping hot ramen were placed in front of him, filled to the brim with its tantalizing broth and noodles. The smell was enough for his mouth to water.
"Itadakimasu!" And without sparing a second, he dug his face in, consuming the dish with great fervor. After his sixth bowl, another disturbance racked his body. There was something... missing...
"Oi, Jiji! Where's my seventh bowl!?" True enough, only six empty bowls were stacked on the stand's wooden table, his seventh order missing.
Teuchi scratched his scalp in confusion. He could have sworn he put down seven bowls. What could have-?
Audible slurping came from the kitchen area of the stand and Teuchi visibly twitched.
"One moment." The proprietor of the stand excused himself and retreated into the kitchen. Soon after, an one-sided argument broke out with Teuchi berating someone angrily, followed by the loud ringing of a pan connecting with something hard. Once it died down, a disheveled man wearing the Ichiraku apron came from the kitchen with a smile on his face, a seemingly fresh bowl of miso ramen in hand, and a noticeable lump on the top of his head.
"Enjoy your meal sir." The man placed the meal in front of Naruto, and bowed.
"YOU AGAIN!?" Naruto shouted incredulously, his forefinger aimed right at the stranger's face.
In response, he put one hand up in greeting. "Hi."
"What are you doing here!?"
"I work here now."
"Why!?"
"I need money."
"Were you just eating my ramen!?"
"I was hungry." He grinned as though he made no transgression.
"Why I outta-!"
"Take it easy, Naruyo-"
"'Naruto'! My name is NA-RU-TO!"
"Of course it is. Now just calm down, I only took a small bite. I'll even pay for it if you want." The man smiled warmly, sincere with his offer and apology.
"... Alright, fine..." And with that, Naruto reached for his chopsticks and chowed down once more. Somehow, it left a tingly and warm feeling in his gut.
Naruto's mouth immediately went dry. His throat was raspy and felt like it burned fiercer than any Katon jutsu. "Gah! What's in this ramen!?" He managed to wheeze out.
"Oh! Right! I forgot to tell you that I put chili in it to give it that extra kick!" The blue-haired man laughed heartily to himself. Unfortunately, Naruto took this as an insult.
"You... BASTARD WEIRDO NII-SAN!! NOBODY MESSES WITH ME OR MY RAMEN!!" Naruto jumped from his stool with the ferocity of a cheetah and proceeded to strangle the man fiercely, mounting himself on the taller boy's shoulders to have a better reach of his neck. The man continued laughing, thinking it to be a game.
Being a loving father of one healthy daughter, Ichiraku Teuchi couldn't help but smile at the scene happening right in his shop. The man he had only recently hired to assist him had struck him as the epitome of weird since his very first conversation with him. He practically pleaded with him to hire him, almost going as far as crying in the way most soap opera characters did. Teuchi relented, and he was quite happy that he did.
The ramen chef knew of Naruto's burden and he was among the scant few that considered him a hero for it. He was also quite aware of his treatment in the villagers' hands, enduring painful torment for days on end. For this, he was more than happy to serve the blond in his modest establishment, customer decline be damned. And it wasn't out of pity or obligation to pay him back for it. It was out of respect for his perseverance and loving nature.
To see that his new assistant was 'getting along' with said orphan put a warm sense of pride and respect in his aging heart. He knew that the boy needed a friend and guardian to guide him and lift his spirits. Now this man, a stranger and enigma, could possibly be the one to fill that role.
He chuckled briefly when he found Naruto trying to tug the older man's ridiculously long ponytail with great force. The man responded with more mirthful laughter.
Teuchi had to remind himself to get the man's name once he finished 'playing'.
Several downed cups of water later, Naruto found himself ambling the road with no clear destination, ignoring some of the glares sent his way. He was too tired to deal with them, and you could imagine why, considering that the source of his agitation was still relentlessly tailing him.
"Aren't you working for Ichiraku-Jiji now?" Naruto asked, irritation evident in his tone.
"I took the day off." Came the nonchalant reply.
"This is your first day working for him and you're already taking a day off?"
"Yup."
"Don't you think that's... Oh I dunno... 'Stupid'?"
"Nah. He'll only subtract it from my earnings."
"... You won't be earning anything if you don't work."
"But work is boring."
"... What kind of an adult are you?"
His question was left hanging as they continued their walk in relative silence, coming to a stop at one of the larger roads in Konoha. The area was littered with people setting up stands, confectionaries, and what-have-you along the streets, the lively chattering and activity giving off a buzz of life.
The man who had yet to tell his name looked questioningly at the spectacle before turning to ask his smaller counterpart. "What's the occasion?"
Naruto gave out a wistful sigh, something usually unbecoming of the boy in public. "It's October 10, the anniversary celebration of the Kyuubi no Kitsune's defeat."
"Kyuubi no Kitsune, eh? I'm pretty sure I've heard that name somewhere."
"The villagers always make a big fuss about it. Something about the Yondaime Hokage managing to kill a really strong demon that attacked the village. He died, though, after he killed it."
"Died, you say?" The stranger gave a thoughtful expression.
"Yeah. He was a great hero, and I wanna be like him when I grow up-ttebayo!" There was a gleam in the youth's eye, one of determination and will. He didn't know why he was telling the stranger his dream, but it felt right. "I'm gonna have these people respect me for who I am! I'll be Hokage, just like Oyaji and the Yondaime, Dattebayo!"
The stranger beamed at the boy's spirit and dream and playfully ruffled his spiky sun-kissed tresses in approval, despite the blond's protests. "You're a good kid." This startled the boy somewhat, his eyes widening at being complimented for a dream few ever recognized. A pleasant sensation wormed its way into his stomach which made his lips twitch upwards involuntarily. The gesture was something he had never received from anyone. The lonely boy in him that starved for attention was elated beyond words and he couldn't help but smile back.
Their brotherly moment was cut short, however, by the gruff tone of a villager. "Hey you!"
The pony-tailed stranger turned his attention to the newcomer, who he noted was accompanied by an angry-looking entourage. "Can I help you?"
The villager snorted. "By the looks of it, you're new around here, seeing as your in the company of thatthing." His eyes leveled at Naruto's direction.
The man raised an eyebrow. "'That thing'? I didn't know that they addressed kids like that here."
"Listen. Take my advice and stay away from it. The demon will kill you the second you turn your back." The verbal slap hit home when Naruto cringed, visibly hurt.
"Demon? I don't see a demon here. Just a very loud kid with a short temper."
The blond twitched. "Hey! What's that supposed to mean!?"
"Just steer clear of him. We're going to give the demon brat what he deserves." As he finished, he and his entourage brandished painful looking weapons, ranging from planks, sticks, and various metal objects.
"Woah. Didn't know you were this popular, kid." He received no response as the crowd stepped closer.
"Hold on a moment!" The blue-haired man ceased their advance by taking up what looked to be a fighting stance, one leg forward, another behind, palms open and stretched in the same manner as his legs.
The question of whether or not this man was trained in the arts of combat briefly crossed the minds of those present. The aggressors' resolve faltered a moment before barking out. "W-What do you think you're doing, defending the brat!? You can't hurt us, the ANBU will have your head!"
The man only smirked, extending his front palm forward even more. All were tense and the ANBU were surveying the scene, ready to intervene if necessary. Then-
"Look! The Kyuubi's back!" He pointed behind the crowd, his face contorted in panic and terror. All, including the ANBU, jumped and swerved to look at where his finger was trained to find...
Nothing.
"There's no Kyuubi-" They turned to face the man and brat only to find nothing as well.
All blinked abashedly. "...here?"
The sound of laughter rang in the air as the form of a man carrying a child on his shoulders sped across the street in great haste. Mirth and amusement evident in their snickering faces while racing towards their safety.
"That was a good one Nii-san!" Naruto managed to let out between laughs.
"You think so?"
"Of course! Thanks for the help!"
"Anytime little guy. Anytime."
And so the outsider and village pariah continued their run, smiling and laughing all the way. To anyone who didn't know them, they were a couple of miscreants. To anyone who looked carefully enough without prejudice-laced eyes, they were a loving duo of brothers.
With that, the Sandaime Hokage was delighted, beaming brightly as he gazed into the crystal ball.
The girls that will be in the harem have not yet been decided, but there will be a harem, I can assure you. I was also entertaining the thoughts of adding FemKyuubi, FemHaku, an OC or two, or maybe some of the girls from the filler arc to the list.
I will bash no one. I just don't like it. The story will not be ruined because of it.
Review!
