WOW! There are too many of you guys who've now favorited/followed this story, I just want to say thank you so much and I treasure all the emails I got telling me you guys liked this! And to the 2 people who reviewed, you both asked "what's the secret?" Well obviously I can't(or won't, you pick) tell you, but it wont be a secret forever so for now just enjoy!
Naruto POV
I woke up and saw the birds were chirping and the sun was shining again, all week's been rainy but now I finally get to play with everyone again! I played ninja with Shikamaru and the other boys for the past fall. I even met Shikamaru's parents a little, his dad had a scar and the same "lazy" expression but funnily enough Shikamaru has his mom's snarky attitude sometimes and her eye color. I told him but he just shrugged and said she was troublesome. I went to my bathroom and washed up a little and threw on my orange shirt and some tan shorts before I slid on my goggles and sandals. I locked my door and ran towards the park. I was late if I'm seeing the sun right... I keep running before I crash into someone.
"I'm sorry!" I yell
"It's fine" An older boy with black hair said, "be careful though, when you rush you miss the chance to be careful."He held his hand out for me.
"Yeah but if I don't rush I might miss the thing I care about!" I grin before I stood up and pat my shorts clean of dust, I looked up at the boy and shook his hand that was still in mine. "Thanks for helping me up though, that was really nice y'know!" I started to run away but I turned and saw he was still looking at me with a boy who looked just like him but my age holding a tomato. "Oh man... I never got his name... well I'm sure we'll meet again!" I smile because he actually touched me, willingly! No angry look or a sick look, he just held out his hand for me! I laughed at how a stranger made my day so easy, I got to the park and looked at the playground. I saw Shikamaru there, laying on the slide and decided to sneak up on him.
I crept up really close to the top and slid down, "Wahoo!" I smiled as I tackled Shikamaru and got him off the slide while I grabbed the edge.
"Ugh Naruto you troublesome blonde!" He groaned before getting back up and laying down next to me. "Can't you greet me more normally?"
"Since when have I been normal? You call me a knucklehead." I smirk as he huffs while muttering how much of a drag I am. "Hey so I thought I was late, where's Kiba and Choji?"
"Kiba is helping his sister take care of new puppies and Choji has indigestion..." Shikamaru sighed
"Ooh... should we go visit Choji?" I ask
"Nah, happens all the time, he'll just get bummed out when his mom brings me a snack and he has to watch me eat it or it just sits there...too troublesome"
"Okay... so what do you wanna do Shika? I'm up for anything y'know!" I grin
"Well for one stop yelling... Kiba's not here so you don't have to yell, and... let's just watch the clouds." He sighed
I groaned because since I started playing with these guys I never have to sit down anymore and wait for bed time. "C'mon Shika, there's gotta be something else!"
"Nope..."
"...Then can I show you a different cloud spot? It'll beat yours by a thousand!" I grin
"...fine."
"Let's go!" I grin and grab his hand he start walking for a bit before he groans
"How much further Naruto?"
"Uhm maybe five-ten more minutes?" I think, "Why?"
"...Let's just hurry I wanna lie down." He said before he actually took lead and tugged me foreward.
"Whoa, you don't even know where we're going... Shika!" I yell
Shikamaru POV
Dad always has them so I like puzzles, but so far Naruto has to be the biggest one ever...
So far I know only these things:
He's ramen-obsessed
He's overly-loud
He's totally hyper-active
He's always smiling
and yet... He's had a flicker of sadness before...
He's always the last one to leave... I've never seen his parents and mine didn't even ask him about his when he met them...
My parents know about him and from what I said to them so do Choji's at least... They knew of him...
He's got a weird orange birthmark on his forhead and those six cheek marks.
And he's got to be the most glared at person in the village... people stare when he's with us, and they always give him the worst of the things when we get snacks...
Now I'm pulling him hard because everyone around us on the street was frowning or glaring at him, he took us through a part of town I've never really been.
"Whoa, you don't even know where we're going... Shika!" Naruto yells
"Then show me or tell me." I say trying to stay calm, I can't believe he was going to walk ten more minutes with those adults glaring like that. He didn't even notice...
"I know a shortcut! Let's go." He grinned and led me down an alley, then down a curved road that lead through a small wooded path and u towards a huge hill with carved stairs in the stone wall.
"How's this short?" I groan
"Because we're almost at the top!" He grinned and let go of my hand to sprint up the stairs. Then he went to a railing and hoisted up on it, before jumping down.
"NARUTO!" I yell, sprinting towards where he fell.
Naruto POV
I got to the top of the stairs and jumped over the railing. I Heard Shikamaru scream my name but then he saw me, I was on the head of the Fourth Hokage looking up at him and I smiled, "Why're you so freaked out?! Come down here!"
"You frigging moron! I thought you'd gone nuts!" He growled
"I'm not nuts! Now get down here Shika or someone's gonna find us!" I pout, he sighs and jumps over the rail and lands next to me.
"What are you in trouble? Who were you running from?" He asked quickly I tilted my head
"What d'ya mean Shika? I just don't want anyone to find my secret spot! It's awesome, believe it!" I smiled and immediatly threw him down and myself so we could see the clouds. "See? This is my secret place... but I'll let you use it for cloud watching! Just don't tell anyone!" I grin down ar him as he looked up and sighed softly
"Yeah... this is a great spot." He smiled I nodded my head and laid down and just watched the sky for awhile.
"I told you, bet you're happy I dragged you here." He sighed before sitting up and then flopping his head down on my lap.
"Shika why're you on my lap?"
"because you're warm..." He yawned, I snicked because even though his family is "deer" he's like a cat...
"Naruto...I'll keep this a secret if you tell me something." Shika whispered
"Uh sure." I glance at him and I wonder why he's so serious
"Why... uh I mean how did you find this place?" He asked
"Oh! well I live right over there in that apartment." I pointed to the building I stay if and saw him frown a little.
"Oh with your family?" He asked
"N-no,I don't have any." I said
"...oh" He said quietly, "m'sorry" he mumbled so softly the wind around us almost drowned him out.
"S'okay, not your fault or anything..." I shrug, "Why'd you ask though?"
"I just wanted to know" He replied
"Why?" I ask
"Because... I like puzzles."