Warnings: some language, perverseness, character craziness, O.C.'s, and some Naruto craftiness and manipulation
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. The manga and anime belong solely to Misashi Kishimoto. God bless him and his works.
Chapter 5: Friends, Acquaintances, and Envoy
Blue eyes opened slowly and gently. Their owner's vision blurred momentarily to adjust to the little light in the room. In his tired repose, he thought he was back in his old cabin asleep atop his lumpy, yet comfortable duvet and the darkness of the area signifying it was still in the early mornings. Yet as he looked down at the covers upon him, did he finally put two and two together. The events of yesterday hadn't been a dream; all that had happened did take place. The little light shed through a small opening in the ruby red curtains. He moved to inspect only to find himself immobilized by an unknown weight around his waist. He froze in sudden terror. Sweat formed along his brow. He shuddered praying that it wasn't what he believed it to be. He slowly turned his head to face the source. The last time such a hold was put upon him…he did not wish to bring up such horrid thoughts so soon.
He turned to face the being responsible for his constraint. He stiffened when he saw who had brazenly decided to put his arms around him in such a loving manner. The blond furrowed his brows. The peasant was tempted to kick the raven out of bed and chide him for such a bold act. But at seeing how peaceful he looked, Naruto decided against it. He pried the pale arms from off him and quietly slipped out of bed. If the prince awoke, he would probably try to seduce the blond or convince him to do other disgusting things he dared to not think about. He had plenty of that in the past. Turning away from the sleeping beauty (not that he would ever let the prince know that) he slowly pulled apart the curtains allowing more light into the room. Naruto winced at the sudden onslaught. He saw it was late into the morning but saw it was still early. He smiled as he glanced outside the window. The castle overlooked the forest that divided itself from the village. It was a rather glorious sight at seeing the glow of the sun's rays shining on the green of the trees. He stretched his hands over his body only to scrunch his nose in disgust. He then remembered that it had been at least a week since he had a decent bath; disgusting. He looked over to see that the prince was still fast asleep undisturbed by the amount of light entering the room. Naruto scoffed.
"Spoiled rich asshole" he muttered. He tiptoed from the room and closed the door behind him and went to search for the bathroom and go take a nice long hot bath. Iruka would likely know where it was. He searched for what seemed like hours trying to pinpoint the location of the scar faced man. He walked up the several flights of stairs scanning the halls. As he was about to turn down another corner, he was suddenly glomped by a green blurred figure.
"Hello most youthful maiden. It is an honor to serve at the foot of a most beauteous person as yourself. Oh glory of glories!" the mysterious person trilled. Naruto's vision swam momentarily before it cleared. It was a young male around his age with pale skin, he had a black bowl cut with the most god awful excuse of eyebrows that ever was. They were bushy over comical dark eyes. He was dressed in a deep green robe with poufy sleeves and a green leotard to match. He had a hat with a feather on top. Over all, the boy was something out of clown show. Of course, the blond wasn't going to voice that thought aloud. The stranger grinned and bowed. "Allow me to introduce myself fair maiden, I am Rock Lee; assistant scribe and informant to the Uchiha family. And who might you be?" he asked gesturing to grab Naruto's hand. He quickly snatched his hand away and smiled awkwardly. "It is very nice to meet you Lee. I am Uzumaki Naruto, unwilling prisoner of the prince and secondly I am a man and not a female" he stated. Lee 's eyes widened and he stood up.
"But…you are too lovely to be a man" he breathed out. "It is now understandable why the prince would chose someone like you". Naruto's eyes twitched. He should have known he would be getting comments about his looks. He had to hear about it often; both by heckling youngsters and brazen perverts. Another voice echoed in the halls. It belonged to an older version of Lee, but more muscular and in the same scribe outfit (A/N: not his anime outfit "_").
"Lee! There you are! I have been looking everywhere for you. It would seem as though you got distracted once again from your duties. Most shameful for a scribe in the making" the male said shaking his head in a melodramatic act of shame. Lee bowed.
"I apologize Gai-sensei but as you see, I was discussing with the newcomer to the castle, Uzumaki Naruto" he explained. Gai nodded.
"An honor to meet the intended bride to be. Sasuke Uchiha has certainly chosen well. I was perhaps wrong to judge Lee so. He was only doing his part to escort the prince's betrothed. A wonderful example of YOUTH!" he yelled passionately.
"Gai-sensei! Lee! Gai-Sensei! Lee!" as if on cue, a sunset on top of an ocean beamed behind them. Naruto scrunched his face up at the "love fest". He needed a distraction to get away from the two weirdo's in front of him. Then he remembered his task at hand. "Uh, Lee? Gai? If you don't mind, perhaps you could point me in the direction of the castle's bath houses or something?" The two continued to hug not seeming to hear the blonde. Tears ran down their eyes in streams.
"S-s-sure N-Naruto-chan! Just go down three stairways from here and "sniff" enter the third door on the left. "sniff" there you can bathe to your heart's desire!" Naruto quickly made his escape. When the scribes were finished, they noticed a lack of a third person. Lee slumped sadly. "Oh dear, sensei it seems we have lost track of fair Naruto". Gai nodded sadly. Suddenly he jumped up and pumped his fist into the air. "Fret not, my dear student. We shall escort fair Naruto and see that he comes to no harm!" Lee beamed proudly and followed after his older counterpart. They did not notice the frightened form of the servants attempting to blend into the walls to escape the raucous pair.
Sasuke scurried the halls with an angry expression. He has just woken up to an empty bed and usually bright room. He saw that the curtains had been drawn open and there were some clothes scattered on the floor. He recognized them to be the blonde's. But where was the owner? His doors knocked loudly signaling someone was on the other side. Sasuke smirked thinking it was Naruto here to retrieve his belongings. It was to his chagrin that Iruka had been on his way to escort the blond to his shack so he could retrieve his belongings then bring him back to the palace so he could have breakfast afterwards.
It was after some pondering on the two men's part, did they come to a true conclusion. The blond must have gone searching for the castle's shower room to take a morning bath. Sasuke relaxed but became angry once again when he realized Naruto went without him. Tying a sash around his robe, he ran down the hall leaving behind a perplexed brunette. Sasuke ran toward the said room only to find, to his confusion, his two scribes standing guard in front of the door which was billowing out steam through the cracks.
"Gai!Lee! What are you two doing here?" he asked controlling his rising temper. Lee did not sense the consternation rising in his superior's tone. Gai bowed before Sasuke and spoke.
"My most youthful prince, Gai and I were doing our usual morning routine when my assistant here came upon the ravishing blond beauty that you had brought to the castle not two nights pass, and agreed to escort him to whatever destination he chose" he boomed grinning with pearly white teeth. Sasuke quirked his eyebrows. "That does not explain exactly why you are standing guard in front of the royal bath chambers". Lee stood up and spoke. "In our state of bliss, Naruto slipped away right after asking where the chambers be. He is inside washing away the un-youthful layering of dirt from his self. We will gladly escort him back to your bedchambers once he is finished". Sasuke stood there in a sort of trance. He then began to imagine the image of a fully naked blond beneath a waterfall attempting to hide his exposed visage from the world and shyly smiling down at his feet. It made him begin to think of less than pure thoughts.
"Sasuke. Lord Sasuke! Prince Sasuke!" a voice echoed. Sasuke broke from his reverie and into his sense. He saw the bewildered glances of his two scribes who stared at him like he had grown an extra head. A small blush brushed across his face. He coughed.
"Good job you two. However, I already made plans for Iruka to escort him around the palace later on and to have his things moved here. You two may go to complete your usual duties". The two scribes bowed and left. Sasuke turned his attention to the door where his dobe was currently bathing. He grinned proudly. Naruto continued to surprise him. He managed to evade his best guards for a couple of hours, deceive his two talented yet rambunctious scribes and manage to find out how to work the baths without being told how. This peasant was proving to be full of surprises big and small. He would wait to delve deeper but for now, it was time for breakfast.
After getting dressed, Iruka led Naruto onto a carriage and drove to his make-shift home of over three years. The ride was rather silent as they neared their destination. They exited the carriage. Naruto stared at his former home for what would probably be the last time. He didn't know what he would tell the old man once he returned.
"This is special to you, I suppose". Naruto nodded. "It used to belong to my old teacher before he retired to go to the Bear Country". Iruka glanced at the boy sympathetically. He knew all too well what it was like to be taken from your own home. "Who was he? The man who took you in and took care of you?" Iruka inquired. Naruto smiled. "You should know him. He was the villagers very own tailor and fabric seller. He was also my mentor and teacher. He took me in when I had no home. He was basically the father I never had" he replied with a fond look. Iruka bit his lip. He didn't know as to why it stabbed his heart to hear those words. Perhaps it was because he had yet to establish that closeness with the teen. Perhaps it was because it was a stark reminder of what was taken from him so long ago.
"Iruka, you alright?" Naruto asked concerned. Iruka shook his head. "I'm fine. So uh…let's go in and get whatever you need and get back to the palace. I can guess you are pretty hungry" Iruka stammered. Naruto grinned widely showing off his pearly whites. If he was lucky, he would get some ramen out of the deal. He walked to the front of the cabin and reached underneath the door mat. He always kept the key hidden should thieves or robbers attempt to get in. He unlocked the door and stepped inside. Just yesterday, he had left the house with hopes of obtaining a better living. Ironically, he was doing just that but not on his own terms. He paid no attention to the contents of his soon to be former home. He made his way to his bedroom where his futon lay empty and the blanket atop it was tossed aside. Those two things were way past their prime. His only interest lied in the two objects that were hidden beneath them. He reached under the lumpy mattress and grabbed his jeweled pendant and leather bound journal.
"Is that it?" Iruka asked. Naruto nodded shyly. He realized standing next to Iruka in his shiny expensive armor; his place must have looked like a dump in comparison. He followed the man outside and placed the lock back under the mat. It would be the last time he would see the house again.
Naruto stomach grumbled as they made their way to the castle. Iruka heard this and smiled."You know, if you want we don't have to go straight to the palace for some breakfast. How about ramen instead? Iruka offered.
Naruto beamed. "are you kidding? There is nothing in the world like it. Although, he trailed off, I am only able to afford it when I have enough and I didn't bring any money with me" he said sadly. Iruka patted the boy on the back. "Well, in that case it is all on me" the man grinned. Naruto smiled. (1) It was to the blonde's joy and amazement that the ramen shop they stopped at was in fact Ichiraku's Ramen. Naruto hurriedly ran up to the front.
"Oi, Ayame, old man. How's it going?" he yelled. The people in question turned their heads and smiled. "Konnichiwa Naruto-kun, it is so good to see you" the old man greeted. His daughter, a pretty brunette in her mid 20's with a slim figure dressed in a white kimono and held her hair in a white bandanna. Her father Teuchi, was an older man in his early 50's who wore the same one but was of broader build and squinting eyes.
"Good to see you as well. I uh brought a friend with me" he said gesturing to Iruka behind him. Ayame and Teuchi all gaped wide eyed and bowed formally. "Gonbawa Iruka-san" she greeted. Iruka waved to her. "And to you, Ayame-san" he returned. Naruto blinked. "Wait a minute you two know one another?" he asked. Of course, Iruka would be well known throughout the village being the second-in-command of the royal guards. Ayame giggled.
"Naruto, Iruka is a long time customer of ours and a dear friend like you. He used to come here every other day when he was a child…before he became part of the royal guards" Teuchi exclaimed. Naruto looked to Iruka who rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. Apparently, there was more to the brunette than what he was willing to reveal. Naruto left it alone for the moment. The two men ordered their favorite. The ride back was silent. Iruka did not say a word the entire way. Or that he simply did not want to. After they reentered the palace, Iruka left Naruto stating that he had important business to attend to and would meet up with him later. Naruto was then left alone to attend to his own matters. He exhaled folding his arms. Where to next? He didn't want to return to his room just yet. Wait?! His room? More like Sasuke's room that he was forced to share.
"I suppose I could go explore the rest of the castle. Maybe even find an escape route" he added to himself. He walked up the stairs to the First Hall; he tried several doors only to find they were all locked. He tried the other two save for the third which led to Sasuke's bedroom; better avoid that area as possible. He did not want to face the raven at the moment. He was about to enter the sixth hallway when his nose caught a whiff of something delicious. He was tempted to drool but withheld the urge out of politeness. A slight chill crawled up his spine. He looked over his shoulder only to find nothing. He shrugged and continued onward.
()
He traveled down the multiple flights of stairs. He turned a corner only to bump into a hard object. Naruto was suddenly grabbed by the front of his shirt.
"Well, what do we have here?" a voice sneered. A filthy commoner? Or is perhaps the prince's new whore? Naruto shook his head to get a look at his assailant. He recognized it to be Mizuki. Naruto knocked the man's grip on him. "I am no whore asshole and secondly I am Naruto Uzumaki. Don't forget it!"
Mizuki grinned. "You're not? Oh wait, I know who you are. You are that filthy vagrant my comrades and I had the misfortune of snatching up. A shame that the prince decided to downgrade" he bemused shamefully. Naruto glared at him. True he was not in the most decent of outfits. A grey dressrobe that ended at his kness and caprice that fitted snugly around his shapely legs. He was none too fond of the glances he was receiving from Mizuki. It made him feel dirty and exposed.
"And you are Mizuki. The one no one likes and got his ass handed to him by Kakashi. I guess I'd be a complete bastard too if I had the face of a rat and was forced to bring in street trash as you call me. By the way, being a palace underling must be interesting" he countered cheekily. Mizuki snarled and snatched the blond up once again against the wall. "I'll teach you some manners' he smirked 'and I think I know how" he replied reaching his hand out to the hem of his shirt. Naruto shut his eyes tightly hoping for it to be over.
"Mizuki! Release him immediately!" His miracle came in the form of Kakashi who glared venomously at Mizuki along with four other men Naruto did not recognize. Mizuki still holding Naruto up against the wall, threw a sanguine grin at the mask-wearer. "Kakashi, you are just in time. I was just about to teach this commoner a lesson about respect" he said in a sickly sweet voice. Kakashi was not buying it. "That commoner is the intended chosen of the prince. You know very well the penalty for assaulting the chosen of the royal family. Unless you wish for the prince to find out you insulted him as well, I suggest you release the boy immediately. If the prince doesn't do anything, I will" he threatened. Mizuki gulped already imagining the burning eyes burning holes into his being. The albino disappeared not wanting to face the wrath of his team.
Naruto watched the hostile man disappear. He was pulled up by Kakashi. "You alright kid? I hope Mizuki didn't do anything to scare you too much" he comforted. Naruto exhaled a breath he did not realize he was holding in. He beat his chest to calm his racing heartbeat. "Thank's Kakashi. If you hadn't come when you did, I …" he trailed off.
"Hey no problem kid. Too be honest, I'm just sorry that he didn't stay long enough. My friends and I have been wanting to have a go at him for years. You are rather lucky. He despises all peasants with a fury and will not exercise restraint because of your age" a guy with brown hair covering one eye said. "Unfortunately', a brunette that looked like the albino and toothpick in his mouth pined 'we can't really do anything much unless he crosses the line or the prince commands us to" he grinned pensively. Naruto smiled. "It's fine. He is not the first hostile person I had to deal with" he responded. Another guard stood up with black gravity defying hair, tan skin, and a bandage going across his nose. Oh by the way, I don't think we introduced ourselves properly. I am Kotetsu. You already met Kakashi. There is Genma and over there is Raido".
Raido walked to the blond. "If Mizuki or anyone ever does anything like that to you again, come to us" he suggested. Naruto bowed before all of them. "I will. Oh and Kakashi tell Iruka I said hi" he shouted before running off again. Kakashi and the rest of the guards watched astonished as the blond ran off leaving a cloud of dust behind. Izumo grinned. "That kid is sure gonna give our prince a run for his money, wouldn't you say so Kakashi?" Kakashi nodded. "Let us just continue on to the training ground".
By the time Naruto reached the bottom of the steps, he was slightly winded. The run-in with Mizuki had almost had him curling into a ball. He brushed it off. He traveled down the hall and saw several people carrying metal utensils. He saw by their garb that they were kitchen attendants or servants. His curiosity got the better of him and followed after them. Perhaps he could make a new friend as well. The blond deadpanned. Maybe not. Making friends always seemed to be out of the boy's reach.
After what seemed like hours, the attendants finally turned a corner and down a flight of stairs to what he presumed to be the kitchen. With a triumphant grin he scurried down the stone steps. It was to his astonishment the room was rather large. The kitchen was approximately the size of a small living room. There were several windows and vents allowing steam to escape. Cooks scurried left and right to get their dishes to perfection. Servants occupied the room carrying out their duties such as carrying water, sweeping and mopping the floors, etc. They were too immersed in their duties to notice the onlooker. Naruto looked left and right, watching the kitchen staff working hard. Without warning, he was bombarded by a wonderful, familiar smell.
There on a shelf was a fresh steaming bowl of ramen with several slices of baked bread on the side. He licked his lips. He looked left and right. "Maybe if I am quick enough, I just might be able to sneak a sip' he thought to himself. With a grin, he crept up to sneak a small morsel. As he reached for the chopsticks, a sharp object whizzed by his hand just barely grazing his hand. Naruto yelped and retracted his near grazed appendage. The handler of said knife glared at him. He had long wild brown hair; he was slightly pudgy yet muscular at the same time. He had on a long sleeved red shirt covered by a white apron, dirty brown pants and boots. He was a tad taller than the blond causing him to gulp nervously.
"Hey listen here kiddo, I don't know where you get off trying to sneak food in this kitchen, but here everyone works for a living. The food here is for the prince and his guest only. If you want food, work for it". Naruto gulped unconsciously rubbing his hand.
"G-gomen, I didn't mean to disturb you while you work. I was just exploring the castle and happened to come upon one of my favorite meal" he rambled nervously. The cook glowered not amused. "Listen, I don't know who exactly you are but unless you are a servant or one of the cooks, I am going to have to ask you to leave" he stated harshly. Naruto glared heatedly at the man. "Well it just so happens I am not a servant' he began 'I am someone who was whisked off from their home and forced into this god forsaken stone fortress you call a palace. (2) And I have a name. It is Uzumaki Naruto. Remember it" he ordered. The brunette squeaked causing him to almost drop the knife. He bowed bewildering the blonde.
"Forgive me Uzumaki-sama, I was not aware of who you were" he said. Naruto's eyes widened. "Uh, why are you bowing to me? And what is with the sama-suffix?" he added. The servant got up. "Everyone in the palace was informed that the prince's betrothed would be coming to live here. That is why we are working at such frenzy. It is to be your dinner" he fumbled. Naruto gave a confused hum. "That is fine but you don't need to go bowing and acting all formal with me. After all, I was being rather rude, just intruding on your work like that" he stated remorsefully. The chubby teen nodded.
"I am Chouji Akimichi, son of the head chef. Sorry about the rude welcome earlier" he said apologetically. Naruto nodded. "No hard feelings. Besides, I can guess you have a pretty stressful job" he reasoned. Before, the brunette could say anymore, a new voice entered the fray. "Chouji, my son what are you doing standing by doing nothing?" the man who looked like a slightly older version of the boy in question. Chouji bowed in respect to the older. "Father, this is Uzumaki Naruto, he is the newly betrothed to the prince and the one we will be working under once they are wed" he explained. Chouji's father looked back and forth between the two youngsters. Seeing there was no lie in his son's lie, he smiled at the blond and bowed graciously. "My apologies, young master I did not mean to assume-
"It's alright, sir. And there is no need to call me master or anything. Just Naruto will do".
"Alas, putting aside all formalities, I am Choza Akimichi, head chef working under the Uchiha family. It is a great honor to meet Choji's new friend. It seems like forever since he has had one to confide in" he said joyfully. Naruto grinned sheepishly clasping his hands behind his back. "Much obliged sir" he said respectively. Choza nodded in retrospect. "Choji, see that Naruto makes it out of our kitchen safely" he ordered his son gently. "There is much work to be done in the kitchen. Until next time, Uzumaki-san" he said before he left. Choji shook his head.
"Parents. Can't live with them. Can't live without them" he laughed. Naruto bit his lip and let out a sardonic laugh. If anyone had been paying attention, they could have obviously known it was completely fake. "Come on then, dad told me to escort you out of here. You probably have somewhere to be by now" he inquired plainly. Naruto walked back up the flight of stairs. Once they reached the top of the stairs, Naruto sighed.
"Your dad sure is nice, Choji. You are very lucky to have him" he complimented.
"And my mother. She's at home, cleaning up the house before we come home" Choji added. "I know she never says it but she hates it when me and father go away to work at the castle. She is under the impression we are being worked like slaves" he laughed. Naruto shrugged. "I wouldn't be surprised if she thought that" he whispered. Choji turned around when he spoke once again.
"Uh listen, Naruto about earlier. It wasn't just about getting our duties done was why I was so rude to you earlier. You see, Choji shifted his food 'a few months ago, I had a bit of a falling out with my friend, Shikamaru. I was feeling rather sore about it. Now I feel kind of guilty because I was the one who instigated the argument first". Choji sighed hanging his head down.
"Why don't you go over to him and apologize?" Naruto asked. Choji stuffed his hands into his apron pockets. "Our last conversation between us ended on a rather…ugly note. Long story short, we haven't spoken to each other since". Naruto scratched his cheek before he smiled. All too eagerly. "Why don't I go and talk to him for you? I mean surely it can't be all that hard to convince one guy to reconcile with his best bud" he suggested. Choji shook his head. "Shikamaru has always been rather stubborn, if not pig-headed. He might even say 'mendousuke" he replied in a low gruff voice. They both laughed. When they finally calmed down, Naruto cleared his throat. "Well, it never hurts to try. By the way, which part of the castle does he work at?"
Choji shook his head again. "He doesn't work in the palace. He and his parents own a deer farm at the Nara Ranch located near the outskirts of the village" he explained. Naruto beamed inwardly already formulating a plan in his mind. "Tell you what Cho, I will talk to Shikamaru on your behalf. And then we will see where it goes from here" he offered. Choji stood awestruck. "You…you will do that for me?" he squealed excitedly eyes glistening. Naruto grinned. "As I live and breathe" he declared putting a hand over his heart. Choji clasped his hands together. "Oh thank you Uzu-I mean Naruto. My father was right about you. You are a true friend to behold". Choji launched himself down the stairs. Naruto smirked to himself.
"No…thank you Choji" he replied slyly to himself. Naruto reasoned to go explore the rest of the castle (3).
It was much to his dismay that many parts of the palace were either blocked off by armed guards or were accessible only with a key. He decided to move his exploration to the outside, preferably the gardens. He looked outside one of the window and saw it was nearing dark. It was rather too late for any outside trips. He would have to wait until tomorrow to make any outdoor trips. Or at least find an escape route. His stomach growled suddenly signaling it was time for supper.
He was three hallways from the bedroom he and Sasuke shared. It is most likely Sasuke would want him there when he arrived. Naruto scoffed. He began to walk back toward the bedroom when his name was called out. It was Iruka running toward him.
"Naruto, there you are. I was about to come fetch you" he panted.
"I was just heading back toward the bedroom. Figured, my supper would be sent to me like last time" he shrugged. Iruka shook his head. "Not tonight. You have been formally requested by the prince to join him for dinner in the Main dining hall".
Naruto scurried back startled. "There is no way…I mean…for what purpose?" he asked rapidly. Iruka rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh…for dinner of course" he replied sardonically. "Oh and because he was disappointed you couldn't join him the night before" he explained. Before Naruto could protest, his stomach growled. And since he wouldn't be getting any dinner at the bed, he would have to come get it himself. He then remembered the delicious steaming bowl of ramen that was being served in the kitchen.
Naruto deadpanned. "Fine, fine. Lead the way, sensei" he commanded. Iruka nearly skid to a halt at being called 'sensei'. It gave him a surprisingly warm feeling inside. It certainly made up for earlier. Naruto meanwhile stayed quiet as he was led to the dining hall. Perhaps he could ask the teme some questions and get some damn answers. If not now, then later.
Tell me what you all think. Naruto sure is a sly and crafty character isn't he? No he is not going to be evil in this one. He is simply someone who will do what it takes to find his way out of the castle and out an unrequited romance. Some of the characters are a little O.C. but it is necessary for plot development. I am unsure if I should keep Iruka's back story the same or if I should do something different. Are any of you glad that I added Choji to the story. I was originally going to have him appear in a different place like as a kitchen hand working under Ino but instead I opted to have him be the personal cook for the Uchiha.
While I am at it, I want to explain Naruto's behavior. People who have suffered great traumas such as molestation, sexual abuse, harassment, or near rape will develop a certain phobia known as Haphephobia; the fear of being touched or having their personal space violated. I am not saying Naruto was a victim of those; well not in the relative sense. However, his back story will veer around those specific issues. People with said phobia will become defensive or violent if they feel they are being physically threatened or if someone becomes a little 'touchy-feely' and will only be comfortable with a select few individuals like friends or family. Naruto is reluctant to participate in anything intimate with Sasuke because the way the raven behaves toward the blond reminds him of those times in his past I will delve into in later chapters. That is not to say Naruto will not try to establish a relationship with Sasuke. He will have to push aside some blunders. Like I said before, Naruto will not be a pushover.
I am grateful to all my readers for having supported me over the years. I am also grateful they have willingly put up with my delayed updates and put forth their suggestions and constructive criticisms. As for the rest of you, I have plenty of ideas for upcoming characters. Stay tuned to find out.
Chapter Footnotes
(1) What is a Naruto story without Ichiraku's Ramen?
(2) Another famous saying of Naruto's besides 'Dattebayo'. He uses that when he wants to get his point across.
(3) The scene from "The Emperor's New Groove" when Cuzco slyly replies to himself after promising Pacha to build his summer home elsewhere. Kind of like that.
