Disclaimer: Naruto and co. along with Naruto-related names are owned by Masashi Kishimoto. The plot/story/ideas are all by me and I do not receive profit from writing this, and this is only for my own enjoyment. And as mentioned the lyrics below in italics are by Evanescence with their song Everybody's Fool.
Hope you enjoy the story.
Italics for thoughts, titles, lyrics, flashbacks, etc.
Normal text for the story in general.
Bold for setting, chapter title, and notes at the bottom.
Chapter 1: Masks
without the mask where will you hide
can't find yourself lost in your lie
I know the truth now
I know who you are
and I don't love you anymore
it never was and never will be
you don't know how you've betrayed me
and somehow you've got everybody fooled
it never was and never will be
you're not real and you can't save me
somehow now you're everybody's fool
Everybody's Fool – Evanescence
KWIN Station
April 21th, 2009
"A mask covers anything to become something else. One can mask one's self as a happily married man when underneath it all, one is actually loosing the marriage from the person one loves and is grieving about it.
"You've seen Jim Carrey's The Mask. With that crazy mask, he could do anything without a care in the world and escape reality with partying his day away. Without it, he's an ordinary man stressing on the days of work and nagging from the landlady of his apartment complex." Naruto sighed as he drummed his fingers against the table, a habit on nervousness from the past.
"You all probably wondered why I just gave out a mini-definition about masks along with a movie's storyline about one. Well, I'll tell you straight out: I wear one."
Outside of the studio, everyone was baffled. Naruto wearing a mask? Since when? And why?
Tsunade, in her light blue business suit, couldn't help but cringed inwardly. The only way one would notice her distress is her furrowed eyebrows and suddenly thinned lips. What have caused Naruto to use one of t-those! He's only eighteen! Soon, I'll get to the bottom of this; employee or not. When Naruto came up to her thirty minutes ago with his idea, she was questioning his ridiculousness. However, she never knew it was far from what she expected.
-Flashback-
"Really, brat? Ya know if you want to share the world about yourself, be a good narcissistic and get a blog like everyone else! Or, or even better, a Facebook and a Twitter page!" Tsunade shouted in her office with her arms crossed over her huge chest.
Naruto shook his head in denial. "No. I mean by experiences."
Tsunade grumbled, "Be a blogger. They do that you know."
"Right, like I'll have a life that way," Naruto snorted. "Gran—"
"Hey, don't you start callin' me that!" The busty blonde screeched. She hates being called old in any sense of the word. She looks thirty, so why bother?
"Okay, okay," Naruto said, "I mean to say was that I want a connection with my listeners through some topics that have occurred in my life so far."
Tsunade gave him an irritated look before Naruto quickly added in, "And I'll be better than an Internet junkie!"
Tsunade huffed in acceptance. "Fine, but if you have some low ratings, you will have to work with Might Guy in his health show Might Is Right."
Naruto shivered a little as he agreed and left. Tsunade was happy that he got the message, but that doesn't stop her from—
"Shizune, bring me a saucer and some sake!" Tsunade shouted over her intercom.
Shizune sighed over the intercom. "Yes, Tsunade."
-End Flashback-
"Once I wear it, it's like a drug. Once it works out for you, you can't stop. I couldn't stop. Everyone stops giving me glares and death threats, and instead gave me laughs and a humorous scowling. Although it wasn't true acceptance into my world's fold, it was—and still is—good enough for me." The blond radio host paused for a moment with his eyes closed and slightly parted lips. Even if talking about him—expressing himself—to many listeners was a good idea, he found it to be a mental struggle. Yes, he was overjoyed by using his show as a stress ball, but he had the urge to back away and stay in a corner forgetting that he even thought of exposing his life to others.
Then Naruto continued with a small sigh that didn't went unnoticed to his listeners both in the radio station and outside of it. "However, I feel like I'm fooling myself with everybody. There are times that I think 'I'm a happy fool! And nothing can break me!'"
Naruto chuckled sadly. "Fool, I thought. I'm a really desperate and depressed fool. Who am I trying to trick! Me or everyone else, 'cause I look like I'm hoaxing myself!" The blond breathed deeply after his overdue thought of his own self. Slowly, like a sad movie, Naruto began to cry silently. Although he's at work, he doesn't care. It was all part of the process, he thought. I believe it to be the process of healing. It's only the beginning of it.
He sniffed a little as he wiped his face with his tanned right arm. "I'm so sorry, listeners," Naruto said in a small voice, "I couldn't help it. After all, real men do cry. So as a treat for your patience, I'll allow the listeners to call and tell about any issues they have or just comment on the show. Now would be a great time to call."
The blond host leaned back in his small black leather chair and waited for the red dots blinking in front of him. In a few minutes, those red imps flashed on display. "All right! All right! I choose this one!" Naruto said as he pressed the selected button.
"Hello?" Naruto asked.
"Hello, Jin. I have something to share," said a rich, deep tone on the line.
Naruto blushed at the voice, but with his mini-crying episode, no one noticed. "Oh, okay. So what would you like to share?"
"Expectations from others can make me itch. I'm expected to be the best to their own extents and nothing more. I couldn't be showing any indication of fun, less when I have to be polite to my customers and co-workers. In addition, work and more work is all I do. If you were in that position, what would you do?"
"And you're name is?" Naruto asked.
"You can call me Red Crow," the caller answered.
"Okay, Red. If I was you, and I'm not sure if it's a good advice for you, I would find something or someone that or who would make me happy. Despite all the expectations from others, it would be nice to have the time to show your true self in your hobby or with the person you cherish. At least there would be less stress that way. Does that answer your question?"
Red Crow chuckled. "Very. Thank you for your advice, Jin. And I'll see you soon." After that, the line went dead and Naruto turned off the button.
Who was that guy? Naruto thought. And what does he mean '…I'll see you soon'? Naruto sighed. Oh well, there are other people to answer.
Naruto pressed the button for the next caller. "Oh hello…"
The show had ended over ten minutes ago and Naruto couldn't wait to relax in the lounge/café downstairs sipping on the lovely SupaChoco Latte with two blueberry scones and one large chocolate chunk cookie. It was one of the perks of working in KWIN besides the good stress-relief of a job and the pay.
"Naruto!" Tsunade shouted, with Shizune in tow, once Naruto started walking out of the studio.
Naruto gave his boss a questioning look. "Yes?"
Tsunade snorted. "With the show in mind, you are saved from helping Guy with his show as we gain more listeners, especially around the time you dealt with Mr. Red Crow back there." The blond boss then gave her employee a small smile. "And if you have something to share away from the typical listeners, my office is always open."
Naruto didn't give his boss his trademark goofy grin; instead, he gave her a true yet small smile. "Thank you." In a few minutes, they have reached the golden door elevator. Like the rest of the building, it was spotless and gleaming in the sunlight from the large window beside it.
"Don't mention it. So where are you heading?" Tsunade asked once she stepped on the lavish red carpet of the elevator with the others.
"I'm going to the lounge downstairs. I need the sugar before heading home," Naruto said as he pressed on the black "5" button.
"Ah, I am heading there myself. I just have this urge for a Dark Cherry Sake Mocha," Tsunade responded while Shizune groaned with her head sinking close to her purple clipboard.
Naruto looked confused. "There's such a drink?"
Shizune put in, "It's like her buying the Dark Cherry Mocha first before heading to her office to add in the sake. All I need is a chocolate chip muffin and a green tea." Shizune sighed until she rose up from her past position and looked at Naruto with her dark eyes. "Ah, I forgot to tell you that you did great today."
Blush lightly covered Naruto's cheeks as he said, "Thank you. I was pretty nervous about the topic, anyway. So now I have to think of something for the next segment."
"Oh, well like you told me before, think of something that's related to your life and then share it with everybody else," Tsunade piped in. It was the last thing she said before the elevator gave out a light ding to signal the riders that they arrived at their designated floor.
The golden doors automatically opened, and once they all were out, Tsunade gave Naruto a smirk before saying, "Naruto, remember that you're invited to the Gala next month, and everybody whose everybody will be there. So don't mess up!"
"Yes, Gran—", Naruto started as soon as Tsunade growled. "I mean, ma'am."
"Good."
Unknown Residence
April 21, 2009
A man sitting in his leather chair, looking towards the light orange sky above the busy city of Konoha through his window wall, pondered in delight.
Lovely, just lovely, he thought. Nowadays, after work, he would listen to the voice of Jin Chuuriki. Although it was the second airing of Fox Talk, the man couldn't help but be fascinated by the radio host. In the world of today, many would just talk of entertainment, health, religion, and other certain interests; never a talk about one's self that could reach the feelings of others.
The man elegantly grasped his cup of coffee—one sugar, one cream—off of his cherry wood desk and drank half of the dark, sugary liquid from the steaming cup. He knew from the voice, the radio host was young, but it made him surprise that behind his voice was the talk of a mature warrior in the concrete jungle.
At first, the man thought the title "Fox Talk" would either have a teenaged or adult female talking about the foxes and saving the environment or a young man thinking of himself as a fox with a sex drive. However, he was mistaken.
The landscape in front of him was charming, yes, but not as much as when Jin have answered his haste call! The mysterious man smiled. A divine voice filled with experience and curiosity; not expected from one so young yet it was possible once he talked to the man in this room.
It was true that the man felt suffocated and disgusted by the expectations, but he was used to it and allowed those opinionated outlooks to morph his personality a bit. However when Jin gave him that single advice, he was ecstatic; the opposite of his stern self. And like he told the host, he will put it to use. Of course, listening to Jin will be his time to be his real self. Furthermore, Jin was the only one so far who can allow the man to be out of strict suit for the hour of his show.
And soon, I'll get to meet the lovely Jin, he thought with a small, desired-filled smile after he drank the rest of the coffee and settle it on the table.
Author's Notes:
I know, I sent this chapter too fast, didn't I? Though school is going to start pretty soon and better now than never. As well, I changed Naruto's radio name to Jin Chuuriki as a play on the word, in Kishimoto's Naruto-verse, jinchuuriki meaning "human sacrifice". The name Kyuubi will be for something different later on in the story if I do not discontinue it. Oh well, I hoped you enjoyed it. And reviews, faves, whatever are welcome. :)
-Chiharu Hikari
P.S. Who do you think the mysterious guy would be?