[Insert really, really long apology here]
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Man, it took me hours to convince the geezer that I wasn't his repair man (what's with old dudes and broken things, anyways?)
The old fart's a lot more stubborn than I remember....
"So you weren't here for the job then...?" old man Sarutobi (can you believe it?? That's still their surname!) sat down next to me at the dinner table (Konohamaru asked if I could stay for dinner...heheh...who am I to say no?) "Well, that's a pity....Still doesn't explain why you're here though." Nosy, old bastard.
"That's kind of my fault." Konohamaru, here to save us from the awkwardness. "You told me to learn how to defend myself after some kids at school started picking on me. Naruto said he knew some moves he could show me after dinner." I...did?
"O...that's nice." The old man looked a little surprised. He turned to me, narrowing his eyes a bit. "So what's the catch?"
Before I could even open my mouth, to verbally kick his ass with, a heavenly aroma—one that could make even the Gods and Demons of this Earth drool—seeped through the open kitchen door.
Then the sweetest words imaginable flowed musically from Kurenai clones mouth: "Ramen's ready!"
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Kurenai handed a bowl to Sarutobi. "Thank you, dear."
Ku-clone had this weird pondering look on her face. "Its funny...I could've sworn I've seen you somewhere."
"Thanks for the meal!" Me and Kono-clone sighed when we'd finished our bowl, Kurenai hadn't even sat down to eat hers yet.
"You two are done already?" Asuma's clone laughed.
"A growing boy's metabolism is a frightening thing." Ku-clone added.
But the old geezer's clone was still pickin' on me: "Can you get me some more medicinal herbs from the storage?" Who asks their guests to do stuff for them?? Rude....
"Sure, Gramps!" Kono-clone grabbed me by my collar, "since Naruto is gonna keep me company, its the least he could do!"
"I am?"
WHAT???
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So we go to this dinky, little storage shack outside the main house.
"Thanks for coming with me. You have no idea how creepy it is in there!" O, wow, I don't remember you being such a chicken!
"...How cuuute~" Hehehe
"Hey!" He steamed, "I'm not scared!" Suuuuure, and I'm not a ninja. "Its just got all the stuff Grandpa's collected from most' his jobs."
"Oh! What does he do?" Don't tell me: he's an ex-leader of the police force, or something really crazy like that!
"He kinda deals with people's spiritual problems." O....
"Spiritual problems???"
"It should be somewhere in the back." Don't you go changing the subject on meh—!
"ACK!"
"Hey, are you alright?"
This place reeeeks of chakra. And, by the looks of it, it has reason to. Ninja stuff = everywhere in here...."Although, I thought most of this stuff was destroyed during the war...."
"What? You talkin' about the 'War of the Jinchuuriki'?" O, man, I said that out loud? But, HEY, how the hell does he know about that!? "'Didn't think anyone but Gramps believed in it."
"O...you mean you don't believe it really happened?"
"C'mon, Ninjas? Demons? Sacrifices? Sounds cool...but there's no way stuff like that could exist in real life...." I kind of stopped listening to him at this moment.
Mainly cuz something else caught my eye.
I can't believe it though—how did they get their hands on a Hokage hat?
I had to just touch it.
Grasp it.
Hold it in my hands again.
...The memories this brings back.
'O, Naruto, we're so proud of you!'
'You deserved it, man!'
'We love you, Naruto.'
'You've come such a long way!'
'We believe in you!'
'I believe in you....'
"...Naruto!"
"HUH??"
"I said: let's head back!"
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"Sorry...I fazed out there for a second...."
Kono-clone sat down next to me on the porch of the main house. "What were you thinking about back there anyways?"
"Just...an old friend."
"Its getting pretty late," Asu-clone looked like he was coming out here for his last smoke of the day. "You should probably head home."
Kono-clone looked at me, raising his mini-eyebrow, "Now that I think about it...you were alone when I met you....You do have a home, don't you?"
"O, uh, yeah! Yeah...its...its under the...um...." Where is it again? Its not...in existence....
"You don't...know...do you?"
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So....
After about an hour of 'omg, where did he come from?' Kurenai had an epiphany of some sort.
"Ah! Now I remember!" She pounded her fist to her palm, "When I take my morning jogs, I've seeing a blonde boy sleeping around the park!" And almost instantly—ninja like, instantly—I was in her arms, and pressed firmly up against her nice fluffy breasticles (complaining? Bitch, please). "Poor~ baby! You must be homeless!"
"Its not really that bad—"
"I won't let that happen! Asuma, dear, do we have space?"
"He can stay in my room!"
"Thanks, Kono-clone...but I like my trees—"
"Are you sure about that, Konohamaru?"
"Yeah! I've always wanted an older brother!"
"You don't mind doing chores, do you?"
...I give up....
Sigh..."No, I can stand a bit of hard work."