Chapter 2: Under the Ice of His Heart
The Next Morning
Naruto yawned and rubbed his eyes, wiping the crust from his eyelashes as he sat up and stretched. He looked with a mixture of curiosity and amusement at the messy nest of spiky brown hair next to him; Kiba was apparently still in the kennels of the mansion judging from the movements his hands were unconsciously forming (much resembling the way one would stroke a faithful dog). Poking the Inuzuka in the nose, Naruto giggled silently as Kiba snorted and groaned, rolling over and cracking a sleepy eye at the blonde. Sitting up as well, he yawned, displaying unusually long canines, and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, running a hand through his unkempt mahogany locks.
"It's time to get up you sleepyheads. Hiashi-sama will be on our backs if we don't get to work."
Kiba hollered the wake-up call and quickly raced to the bathroom, dragging Naruto along by the collar of his shirt. Deftly filling the basin with warm water, he drenched himself in the liquid, shoving Naruto down with him. Spluttering, Naruto playfully splashed him back, resulting in an all-out war between the two and thoroughly soppy clothes as a result. Laughing, the boys collapsed on the floor, scooting quickly out of the way as a deluge of servants ran to claim the water. Kiba turned to Naruto.
"You have to wake up early if you want to get the water first. We only get one basin, so competition is tough." Naruto playfully punched him in the arm.
"This coming from the guy I had to poke to get him up? You should have thanked me. Anyway, I take it you had a good dream with your dogs?" Kiba's eyes widened.
"How did you know?" One side of the blonde's mouth curled upwards in a smirk.
"You were petting your pillow," he stated matter-of-factly. Kiba sighed.
"Yeah, I do love those dogs. I have one of my own; his name's Akamaru." Naruto cocked his head questioningly.
"So then why didn't you bring him to the Hyuuga mansion?" Kiba sighed dejectedly.
"The only dogs allowed here are Hiashi-sama's. He keeps the males in one kennel and the females in the other so we don't get many pups." Naruto nodded in comprehension.
"I see. Anyway, if competition is as hard as it is here then at breakfast, we'd better get a move on. Something tells me fresh food is always the best." Kiba agreed and chased Naruto to the kitchens, laughing lightheartedly all the way.
It was later that Kiba looked up from his onigiri, addressing Naruto with an amiable look in his chocolate-brown eyes.
"So how was your first day serving His Royal Ice-Bitch Hyuuga Neji?" Naruto looked down at his rice, trying to search for the right words.
"Umm…it was…in-teresting." Kiba's eyes glittered with attention.
"How so?" Naruto gulped, not wishing to go into the fine details of what had been done to him the previous evening.
"I just watched him pace around his room. He sure paces a lot. It must be a habit." Kiba looked up, mouth full of rice ball.
"Yoo mheene hee phashed she wchole tchime?" He said, spraying Naruto with bits of rice paste. Naruto picked the food off his face with a condescending look at the Inuzuka, who smiled sheepishly and gulped down his food.
"You mean he paced the whole time?" Naruto nodded.
"Yup. Incredibly boring, but since I get food and shelter, it's a pretty good deal." Kiba smiled.
"You're lucky. Most of us have to run around all day, cleaning dishes or making beds. Like poor Shizune-nee-chan there," Kiba jabbed his spoon at the young woman's back. "She has to cook nonstop all day." Shizune turned around, a reassuring smile on her face.
"It's okay, Kiba-kun. I don't mind cooking, and after all, Hiashi-sama does praise me sometimes." She giggled and went back to stirring the sauce on the stove. Curious, Naruto went over to the stove and peeked over the top at the rich reddish-brown dressing Shizune was stirring.
"Can I have a taste?" Shizune smiled and ladled a spoonful for Naruto to try. The blonde swallowed the contents, a thoughtful look on his cherub face.
"Hmm…needs some garlic." He reached for said spice and shook a fair amount into the soup, stirring it slowly. After a period of time, he ladled some for Shizune to taste. The cook licked tentatively at the soup, tasting it with the air of an experienced chef. Obsidian eyes widened in amazement.
"Naruto-kun! This is really good! Where did you learn how to cook?" Naruto displayed his pearly-white teeth as he grinned foxily at the older woman.
"I was alone for most of my life, so I had to survive somehow. At first I just made myself simple meals, then eventually I started growing interested in cooking. It's fun if you know what to do and don't mind a mess." Shizune nodded and laughed.
"Well then Naruto, I will be asking for help from time to time." Naruto's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Okay, Nee-chan! I'd best be going now." Shizune waved the blonde boy off and continued stirring the sauce, a smile on her face.
Finishing his ramen and turning in the bowl, he was about to report to Neji when he realized the Hyuuga hadn't summoned him. Rifling mentally through his thoughts, Naruto had remembered never to come to his…master…unless he was being summoned. Lee had told him about a few nasty experiences once, where he'd caught Neji in the middle of a very important meeting with his uncle, resulting in a black eye and no dinner. That thought bearing in mind, he smiled and meandered down to the lush gardens the Hyuuga estate bore in its vast area of land, humming tunelessly along the way. Seeing a patch of blue out of the corner of his eye, he skipped happily down to the lake, reveling in the feel of the somewhat ticklish grass between his toes.
Plopping down amongst the soft green carpeting of weeds, Naruto noticed a few reeds growing along the riverbank. Cornflower eyes lighted up with a joyful glint, and Naruto smiled happily, reaching for the reeds. Snapping one off, he examined it closely, turning it this way and that and examining the length and width of the reed. He smiled. This would be fun to work with; it was just his good fortune to encounter a huge reed patch right when he needed entertainment.
Sitting up, he extracted a small knife from his shoe. Flipping it open, he briefly tested the blade against his thumb, drawing a thin line of blood across the pad of his finger. Satisfied, he chose a choice spot on the reed and carefully scratched out an oval in the sinuous fibers of the reed. Twisting the knife with the utmost precision, he painstakingly carved out the oval and refined the edges, doing the same to regular sections of the reed. Laying down the knife, he held the reed to his lips and blew.
It was a surprisingly mellow sound that whistled through his flute. He'd expected the sound to be a bit muffled—the reeds he'd worked with at home hadn't been of the highest quality—but these reeds were perfect for carving pipes. Laughing softly, he lay once more on the grass, playing an amiable tune on his newly whittled instrument.
A sudden tug at his shoulder brought him to attention, and he turned around to catch a glimpse of the intruder. A small boy was standing behind him, his onyx eyes filled with childish innocence and curiosity. Looking at Naruto, he smiled hopefully up at the blonde. Naruto smiled back, hoping he looked somewhat welcoming to the young child before him. The child spoke in a soft, somewhat shy voice.
"What are you doing?" Naruto inwardly smiled. The boy's voice radiated pure innocence.
"I'm playing a reed flute." The child's large luminous eyes seemed to shine with interest.
"Can I try?" Naruto nodded his consent.
"If you know how." The boy eagerly snatched up the flute, putting it to his lips and blowing lustily on the mouthpiece. A few garbles came out, but nothing close to music. The boy looked crestfallen.
"How come I can't do it?" Naruto chuckled.
"You're blowing too hard. Here, let me carve you one of your own, and I can teach you how." The other shook his head stubbornly.
"I wanna carve it myself." Naruto sighed and handed over his knife, plucking a nearby reed and handing it to the child.
"Here, use this. But don't cut your—"
The child yowled and clutched his finger, sucking frantically on the blood that welled up.
"—self." Naruto finished, a bit too late. Sighing, he took the knife and the reed from the child.
"Here, let me carve it for you." All past traces of pain forgotten, the child leapt up and peered anxiously over Naruto's shoulder.
"By the way, I never got your name." The other grinned, showing a huge gap in his teeth.
"My name's Konohamaru. What's yours?"
"Uzumaki Naruto. Pleased to meet you." Naruto went back to whittling out the flute. Once the task was done, he handed it to Konohamaru, who enthusiastically snatched it up in his small, eager fingers.
"Now, blow very gently across the top of the hole that's farthest from the others." Konohamaru did so, and produced a very faint whistling tone. Elated, the boy leapt up and grinned.
"I did it! Did you hear that Naruto-sempai? I did it!" Wrinkling his nose at "sempai", Naruto nodded and praised the boy.
"I wanna hear you play now."
The blonde boy smiled and readily complied, piping a lively tune on his flute. Konohamaru laughed and danced around the other, giggling good-naturedly. Together the two played on the riverbank, having a ball of a time with the music and fun.
A lone figure leaned against the window sill, quietly observing the two boys. Unbeknownst to them, Neji was observing their every movement, from the way Konohamaru danced wildly around the riverbank to the way Naruto's eyes seemed to light up with sheer joy as he watched the other prance around him with a smile on his face.
The Hyuuga felt a violent flow of sudden emotion surge through his chest. Jealousy, wistfulness, sadness, longing, and a little nostalgia; why did those feelings suddenly plague him so? Could it be that he longed for that joyful gaze to be fixed upon himself instead of the cold, frozen ice that glazed Naruto's eyes whenever he was with him? He suddenly found himself longing for that happiness, that special spark of life and vividness to be reserved for him and him only.
A single solitary sphere of moisture threatened to slip from the long, dark lashes of the Hyuuga; he swiped at it with a surge of annoyance, suddenly furious with himself. Oh why did this blonde brat haunt him so? And why did he, when never before had he let any other human alive worm their way into his heart, why did he feel the walls around his heart giving way now that this boy had appeared? It wasn't right; it wasn't the dull yet comfortable lack of emotion he was used to ever since the blonde had appeared in his life. He mentally cursed his uncle for the sudden flux in his normal lifestyle.
Neji sighed, giving in to the torrent of emotions that constantly battered at his psyche. Very well then; it seemed that there was no other way to rid himself of these thoughts unless he fully understood that child. Then, and only then would he be free of those…those feelings and dispose of the blonde as soon as possible.
"Bye Naruto-sempai! I have to go now!" Konohamaru yelled over his shoulder, waving energetically to Naruto. The blonde smiled and waved off the boy, then settled down into the grass, snuggling into the welcome greens, content to watch the clouds float by.
He watched the fluffy white entities make their way across the sky with an air of laziness. He wished he were a cloud; they were so carefree, without a single solitary care to burden them down. His thoughts turned to Iruka, his foster father, and how he'd raised him so dutifully ever since he discovered the hidden bond they shared. Naruto's lips lifted in a slight smile as he recalled the nostalgic memories he shared with the dolphin. Iruka had taught him to carve out reed flutes, had taught him to climb trees with the utmost accuracy, had taught him to fish. Iruka had done so much for him; he had to repay his foster father by living up to this harrowing job as a servant.
A shadow fell over Naruto's face, and he cracked open an eye to survey the source of the sudden darkness. Indigo eyes met white ones, and Naruto immediately sat up, back stiff and rigid, trying hard not to show his surprise and slight fear at the presence of his master. He felt the grass compress as Neji sat down beside him on the riverbank and stiffened even more, trying his best not to look into those intense yet slightly mesmerizing pools of pure white.
Neji had silently made his way up to the blonde as he lay on the grass, scrutinizing him carefully as he stared at the clouds. The atmosphere of perpetual peace radiating from the blonde wasn't that of formal tranquility; it was a more comfortable sensation, welcoming and friendly. Though when he bent over the blonde, the aura emanating from Naruto had shifted slightly, becoming tense at the edges, and once more the thin film of ice had hardened his eyes, making them unreadable yet so dreadfully cold.
Naruto sat in uncomfortable silence, staring determinedly down at the ground, playing with his fingers. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle suddenly, a sure sign that the Hyuuga was regarding him silently with a stare that was almost impossible not to look back in return. As a last resort, Naruto desperately tried to think of other things, anything that didn't deal with the way Neji was looking at him now, which only made it worse; the Hyuuga was practically boring holes in his body with his gaze. Naruto felt as if Neji were looking right through him, and this left him feeling somewhat exposed and vulnerable, something absolutely forbidden if he wished to keep his composure.
Just when he thought he couldn't take another second of the other's stare, Neji turned away, and the hairs on Naruto's neck receded back to their normal flat state. Time passed, and still not one nor the other spoke; rather the silence escalated to a point where Naruto was shredding the cuffs of his pants to endure the harsh tension. Neji was silent, which was normal for such an emotionless person like him, but Naruto desperately wished for some sort of distraction to ease the silence.
Gathering his courage, Naruto ever so subtlety snuck a glance at the Hyuuga, daring only to use the faintest of his peripheral vision. His eyes strayed over the well-defined cheekbones to the prominent definition of Neji's jaw, to the slender nose. His eyes had a smooth arch to them, and were framed by long, midnight lashes that contrasted so well with the opalescent hue of his eyes.
Neji caught the blonde staring at him and turned, capturing his gaze with his own stare. A faint tinge of crimson tinted the other's cheeks and he abruptly whipped around, suddenly finding great interest in the flowing river. Curvaceous lips tilted upwards in a smile, and, fully aware that the blonde knew he was staring, began to examine the fine features of the boy next to him. He touched briefly on the full curves of Naruto's lips, firm yet yielding the faintest hints of softness, and came to rest on the eyes. Naruto had a curious catlike tilt to his eyes, making them hint at the faintest traces of seductiveness, yet they somehow made the boy seem so naïve. After a long period of thought, Neji broke the silence, giving them both the satisfaction of relief.
"You play very well upon that flute, Naruto." Said blonde started, then relaxed a little but still plenty stiff and utterly silent.
"Why do you not speak when I address you?" Naruto shook his head.
"Are you…perhaps…afraid?" He was met by a furious stare, and Naruto's eyes flashed fire as he glared at the other. Neji inwardly admired the sheer stubbornness of the blonde.
"Then why don't you speak?" Naruto hesitated, then spoke his first words to the Hyuuga.
"I'm unbidden to." Neji drew back slightly. So this boy did fear for his life. Was he so threatening? He drew closer to the boy, fixing him with another gaze. Naruto abruptly turned away, but was forced to look back when Neji gently cupped his chin and turned his face toward him.
"Don't be scared now," he started in what he hoped was a reassuring tone.
"I'm not scared." Those endless limits of blue Naruto possessed radiated murder as well as sheer defiance.
"Then why don't you speak?" Naruto answered with a question of his own.
"Why did you take me as your personal servant when you fare just fine on your own?" Neji looked away.
"My uncle assigned you to be under my supervision. I had no say in the matter." Naruto looked up, a little surprised.
"So then why don't you dismiss me then?" Neji paused, his jaw working as if searching for the right words.
"You…intrigue me. You're different from all the other servants. Not only do you display an amazing show of outright defiance when all the other servants are willing to go to the ends of the earth and beyond to please me, you have amazing will as well." Naruto nodded slowly, drinking in the information.
"So if you don't need a personal servant….and you don't wish to dispose of me….what exactly to you mean to use me for?" Neji rested his chin in the intertwined web of his fingers.
"I don't really know…I've never really had a personal servant before." Naruto laughed softly in spite of himself. Neji looked so professional, eyes deep in thought.
"That." Naruto looked at him as if he were from a completely different dimension.
"What?"
"I want you to do that. I want you to be happy." Naruto cocked his head to the side, fixing Neji with a quizzical stare.
"Why?" Neji sighed and shifted slightly on the grass.
"Because…because when you're happy, I seem to feel a bit uplifted as well. I don't know why, but…" Naruto resumed looking out at the river.
"I think I can manage that…" The words came out in a whisper, though Neji caught them all the same. He smiled and pulled Naruto up as well by the scruff of his neck.
"Come, young one. I'll show you around the mansion." Naruto wriggled out of Neji's grip and once more stared insolently at the Hyuuga, though all traces of ice were long gone from his gaze.
"I've already seen the mansion. And I'm not young; I'm a year younger than you are." Neji smirked.
"Though your facial features seem to contradict your statement." Naruto growled playfully.
"Shut up." Despite the fact that a servant had just thrown an insult at one of a higher status, Neji let it slide and lead the blonde back into the mansion, making his way up to his room where the two spent the day discussing many subjects until each was worn out and Naruto was sent away.