N. V. S.
Sometimes you just gotta let yourself go, and cry. It doesn't matter much of what people will think of you, more of what you think of yourself.
----Nightmarish flashback of a nightmare----
Aiko stood above the defeated body.
She felt the fresh blood, trickle down the side of her face, as she stared at another headless being. She turned to face the others,
"Are you going to miss them?" she asked, with an unreadable expression,
"Wh-what did you do!?" the nurse dropped to her knees, covering her mouth in utter horror, at the sight of her husband; dead. In such a pitiful way, if I may add, "I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I SWEAR I'LL--" she began running towards Aiko, but was stopped when her corpse fell to the ground;
bodily fluids escaped her, as organs slid around her body. She floated in a pool of her own blood, as her amber eyes stared straight up at Aiko.
----End of Nightmarish flashback of a nightmare----
"GAH!" she wailed, dropping her suitcase in the process, falling down on her knees,
"Aiko! What happened? Did you trip again?" Naruto asked, concerned,
"N-No... It's nothing... I'm sorry." Aiko hastily regained her composure,
"Ah, its nothing. Now common, lemme take that bag of yours, we don't want to keep Baa-chan waiting,"
"H-Hai."
Aiko was very nervous of meeting Lady Tsunade. The women seemed so scary whenever she had caught a glimpse of her. Like, just the other day, she saw her beating an old man with long white hair... After he exited a women's bath... No... There HAD to be a reason as to why he was in there, right?
"A-And Aiko?"
"Yes?"
"..." Naruto seemed to have already known his question, but quickly changed it, "Is Usagi really your last name?"
"Um... Yes? Why do you ask?"
"U-Uh... No reason. We needa hurry, or I'm piggy-backing you again!" he teased, as the girl's scarlet cheeks tainted a dark shade of red, remembering how he had carried her to the village... And his smell of ramen.
"Ah... Aiko Usagi... Pleasure to see you... Awake that is." Tsunade chuckled lightly at her own joke,
"...Y-Yes... I-I'm... The pleasures all mine..." Aiko stuttered,"Really."
"Ha ha, no need to be so nervous, I don't bite or anything."
"...Y-yes... Sorry..."
"Ah yes. Back to business. So I heard from Naruto and Kakashi that you were found in the woods?"
"Yes."
"Did you know how you got there?"
"No." she lied,
"Tell me... Do you have any memory of your past?" Aiko paused, wondering if she should mention the nightmares that have been reoccurring since she arrived at the village, and about the orphanage,
"No." she responded quietly, deciding not to say anything,
"Parents? Relatives?"
"My mother is dead. My father... Was killed." she'd rather not explain the dreams,
"...Oh dear. Well, I'm sorry... Any relatives?"
"Murdered."
"Ah... You know, we have another resident that's family and clan was terminated. By his own brother, too."
"Really?"
"Yes. But don't worry, you'll meet him soon."
"Okay." she felt a bit uneasy of the thought,
"Do you want us to try and find people who at least know you? Like, past caretakers or something?"
"No!" the word leaped from Aiko's mouth, a reflex of some sort, "I mean... No... Thank you... I don't want to be a bother."
"It wouldn't be a bother if people are looking for you."
"N-No... No ones looking for me."
"What?"
"Those people... I was living with... They don't want me back."
"You remember?"
"N-No... Its just... I don't want to go back to wherever I was."
"Oh, I see... Well this could be an issue, considering your a minor, and can't technically work yet."
"..."
"Ah. Okay. I see."
"Yes?"
"You'll be rooming with one of the few people I've chosen, and from now on be attending class, your assigned group is with Kakashi, Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke."
"Wh-what?"
"You will be trained to be a ninja, until we can find better arrangements for you."
"O-oh... So I won't be going back there?"
"No. Not if theres no legal-stuff involved, your now a citizen of Konoha."
"...Thank you so much."
"It's no problem."
"No really... Th-thank you! Thank you! No one has ever been this kind to me..."
"...Well. Come back this afternoon, I'll have some residents come and you can see which you feel most comfortable living with. It will probably be one of your classmates, and possibly a team-mate."
"Arigato, Tsunade-sama!" she left quickly, excited to tell Naruto about the news. He's been a real friend to her since he had found her, even though sometimes he was quite scary... Yes!...Now I have to find a way to get Divany here... I want to share my happiness with her...
"Naruto!"
"Hey! How'd it go?"
"Great! Lady Tsunade is letting me stay in the village."
"Awesome. So who're you rooming with?"
"...I don't know yet. I get to decide later this afternoon. But thanks for your concern. You have been very hospitable since I've been in Konoha."
"Eh he he he...! No worries." he chuckled, folding his arms behind his head,
"..." Aiko didn't quite know what to do. She sort of forgot how to smile... Or at least, she forgot how good it was to smile. But watching Naruto, her heart felt lighter, as though there was hope for her too... No. I'm not allowed... to be able to smile... until Divany's here with me. She thought roughly, ignoring her own wants, replacing them with determination, "N-Naruto?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you remember the exact place you found me?"
"Uhum... Yeah, kinda."
"...Okay. If you want to... Could you try to remember it for me?"
"Yeah! Of course...!" he answered eagerly,
"Arigato."
"Ha ha, wassup with the formal talk?"
"O-oh... Nothing... Sorry."
"Your really weird." he said, pointing a finger at her, "But... fun to be around."
"Wh-what?" she was surprised to hear this from him, considering she hasn't been the most cheerful person,
"N-nothing." he smiled at her; a big, cheeky smile. WHY DID I SAY THAT!? He yelled inwardly, kicking himself for the oddly placed comment.
----Few Hours Later----
"Naruto!" Aiko called, slightly annoyed that he would be late, "NARUTO UZUMAKI!"
"Ye-e-es?" he answered, coming from right behind her. Aiko spun around, expecting to see him, but instead—Nothing.
"Naruto?"
"Ha ha. I'm just kidding, I'm over here, Aiko." she turned around again, almost bumping into him.
"Naruto! What the hel...What were you doing?" she yelped,
"Trying to surprise you!"
"Hmph. Whatever. Common, we're late." she said, lugging her suitcase into the building.
Aiko lightly rapped on the door, "Tsunade-sama? It's Aiko, ma'am."
"Come in." The purple haired girl crept in slowly, aware of the other persons in the room, "Aiko, this is Ino." Aiko bowed politely, but when the blond took a long look at her, she made a small, 'hmph' sound,
"H-Hello..."
"...Hey." was her sharp reply, seeming really annoyed by Aiko's presence,
"Okay. There is a few others... But they don't seem to be available at the moment, so Ino's your first pick."
"U-Uhumm... Tsunade-sama?"
"Yes?"
"Do I have to room with her?"
"No. Your other choice is--"
"AH! Sorry I'm late everyone, got held up. Oh hey pig." a girl with short pink hair entered the office, she grinned at Ino, "I'm guessing your... Aiko, right?"
"Y-yes."
"Mmk." she rolled her eyes lightly, after briefly giving her a look, stopping near her chest and waist area, where her face turned a shade darker,
"Tsunade-sama?"
"What is it?"
"Are these my only choices?"
"Apparently. At the moment, yes."
"...O-okay..." she looked over to Naruto, for something, ANYTHING. She didn't really feel comfortable rooming with... them... They kinda reminded her of Gina and Amaya.
"BAA-CHAN!"
"I TOLD YOU NEVER TO CALL ME THAT!"
"Yeah, yeah. Would it be acceptable for Aiko to stay with me?" that particular person, swallowed a large lump in her throat. She didn't mean THIS. She didn't want to room with a boy! That would just be gross!(Here at the hospital, when I was back in C. A. P. E. (Children and Adolescent Psychiatric Emergency) I had to live with THREE other guys. And sometimes they used my bathroom(wasn't really my bathroom but...w/e). EW. I'm in a longer stay unit now :)).
"NARUTO YOU PERVERT!" the pink haired girl, which Aiko learned to be Sakura, scolded, throwing a scroll at him,
"N-NO! I just meant, if she doesn't want to room with them... I don't know, I'm the one she knows most around here. Its not like someone would want to room with a complete stranger. And I promise I won't do anything perverted or whatever."
"Hm... Usually I wouldn't allow that, but in Aiko's case, the decision is hers."
"What about it Aiko?" Naruto asked, a bit excited for her answer,
"..."
"You don't necessarily have to decide now, but a place to stay for the night would probably be good."
"Naruto." she answered quietly. This was probably her best bet. Anyways, she had endured worse. Considering Gina and Amaya never went to a ninja academy, they're beatings were pretty thorough. She didn't want to experience one from actually trained ninja's.
"A-Are you sure!?" Tsunade seemed really surprised by her final decision, she wasn't really expecting it from the beginning,
"Y-yes... He's the only one I know here."
"...Alright... if your sure... You can always come to me if theres any trouble. Which there better not be, right Naruto?" the way she said his name even sent shivers down Aiko's back. It was exactly the same way she had said... In her dream... It was... The same...
"Yeah, yeah, Baa-chan."
"I TOLD YOU--"
"But if you'll excuse me, I gotta show my new roomy around." he laughed, grabbing Aiko's hand and making a quick dash for the door, leaving Tsunade, Ino, and Sakura a bit dumbfounded.
"Hmm! So, want me to help you unpack?" Naruto offered, once they had arrived,
"Theres not much to unpack..." she said, holding up her suitcase, which was simply a backpack with a few leaves still stuck on it.
"Well, its always nice to make things feel homey." he replied, forgetting that she had no home.
"..."
"Oh... Sorry... I forgot."
"No... it's okay... How about your parents? Where are they?"
"Uhum... They're... Out on business." he gave his best efforts to smile at her, even though he was lying through his teeth. He was too ashamed to say what happened. I mean, who wouldn't be? She would think he was a total freak, right?(Wrong as usual, Naruto.)
"O-oh... Are you sure they don't mind me staying with you then?"
"N-no... They're uh, fine with it."
"O-okay... Where do I stay?"
"Well Kakashi said he'd be able to get another bed. But for now, you can sleep on mine, I'll sleep on the couch."
"N-no! I-I'm not worth the trouble, trust me."
"No really. It doesn't smell or anything, I cleaned it this morning." (HAHAHAHA THATS FUNNY!)
"...Are you sure?"
"O'course. I offered to keep you here in the first place."
"Okay..." Aiko yawned, "May I take a nap?"
"Sure. I'll wake you up when its time for dinner."
"Thank you."
Well la-di-da! She moved in. *tear I'm so proud :') Naruto's all grown up... well... not really x) but he's still as lovable as ever. Anyways, more shall be explained in da next chapter, in which I'm working on, or beginning to work on now( it's Quiet hour, or Happy Hour as I like to call it. It's pretty much an hour from 6 to 7 where the kids stay in they're room alone for an hour and do whatever.). Ah, I finished watching Devil May Cry a couple days ago, and IT WAS FREAKEN AWESOME!!! :') I cried at the ending, and trust me. I'm the girl who didn't cry at the Passion of Christ. :)
Hmm, this story promises to be interesting... Or at least to me. Cause when you read it, and it's awful, then its like... a THOUSAND time's worse for the author cause they're like, HOLY SHIT I WROTE THAT!? So, yeah. :)
OH! I FORGOT TO TELL YOU LAST CHAPTER!!
If you live in Canada, then you've probably heard of the Young Writers Contest. You know, with the short story and crap? WELL. I got into the finals! My short story will be published in a book called Dreamscape, and under the name Celine (don't stalk me D:) And so yeah :)
~Cassie