Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Warning/s: Unbeta'ed. Awkward grammar.
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"Sometimes it's a sort of indulgence to think the worst of ourselves.
We say, 'Now I have reached the bottom of the pit, now I can fall no further,'
and it is almost a pleasure to wallow in the darkness.
The trouble is, it's not true.
There is no end to the evil in ourselves, just as there is no end to the good.
It's a matter of choice.
We struggle to climb, or we struggle to fall.
The thing is to discover which way we're going."
— Daphne du Maurier
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"Uzumaki! Bring an umbrella! It'll rain, kid!"
Naruto waved at his boss, and saluted. "Sir, yes, sir!"
He an umbrella from his messenger bag. "Here it is, sir!"
The man nodded at him and laughed as he watched Naruto ran on the street in a blue umbrella.
The owner laughed even more when he noticed the young man deliberately danced knowing he was still watching.
He accepted Naruto as a pizza delivery boy two years ago and never once the kid failed him.
Naruto was enthusiastic about his work, something you wouldn't find in young lads nowadays.
He was fast, reliable, and efficient.
And whenever he was watching Naruto like this, he couldn't help but think that the young man was the son he never had.
Well,maybe he should look for a wife first...
He laughed at the thought.
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"Your're late, Naruto!"
"Hi, Tsunade-baasan!" Naruto waved at the pale, blond woman scowling in front of a huge gate. She was almost in her fifties but she still looked so young that she was always mistaken to be only in her thirties.
The biggest fraud of the century, as Naruto was always saying.
"You made me wait, kid," she said, face was still scowling.
Naruto grinned and scratched his head, "Sorry, Tsunade baa-san," he said. Apparently, Naruto was the only one who could get away from calling her that.
"Two boxes?"
"Yes, ma'am!"
"Cheese pepperoni and Hawaiian? "
"Errr... yes?"
"Naruto..." Tsunade looked face darkened.
"I-I was j-just kidding! Of course, cheese pepperoni and Hawaiian..." Naruto rummaged his order bag and gave two boxes to the woman. "How could I forget? You almost killed me the last time I made a mistake."
Tsunade just smiled as she held the boxes in her hands. "Good boy."
"Old hag," Naruto muttered as he bowed and accepted the payment.
The next thing he knew, he was being lifted in the air and his right ear was hurting like hell.
"Ouuuuuch! T-Tsunade-baasan! It h-hurts! Sorry! Sorry!"
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"Naruto Uzumaki? Sorry but I don't know anyone with that name. I have an employee named Naru, though."
Sasuke gritted his teeth as he calmed his nerves.
He had to be patient.
"May I see him?"
The fat owner of the ramen restaurant gave him a curious glance before calling the man. "Naru! C'mere for a sec. There is someone looking for you."
Sasuke warily watched the door where Naruto was supposed to emerge, smiling.
He was hopeful.
Naru... Maybe that was the nickname he was using now.
"Usuratonkachi."
"Don't call me that, teme!"
The longing in Sasuke's heart grew.
But instead of the blonde, what Sasuke saw would probably haunt his dreams for the years to come.
It was a huge man, bulky, and quite hairy.
Shit, there was freaking hair everywhere Sasuke looked.
And he was wearing lipstick.
The ribbon adorning his long hair looked so atrocious that he had to look away.
It was nightmare in flesh.
He would kill Neji when he saw him.
"Is it him?" The manager asked, a fine trail of curiosity was still lingering in his eyes.
Now he knew why.
"No," he immediately answered, bowing. "It is not him. I am sorry for the disturbance."
Sasuke left the place even before the two gentlemen could blink.
He should have known better than to expect he would finally see him after all these years.
Sasuke gripped the button in his pocket and opened the door of his car.
Another failure again.
At times like this, the young heir couldn't help but think that maybe fate was just sternly against the idea of him meeting Naruto again after what he did.
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Naruto awkwardly laughed as he brushed off the man's arm on his shoulder.
It was getting annoying.
But he had to do this.
Or else, he would not graduate.
Naruto sighed as he forced a smile on his face.
"What is your favorite subject, Naruto?" The young man asked.
"Science, sir."
"Hakuren-sensei told me you are quite diligent in his class, eh?"
Naruto smiled. "I have my reasons, sir."
"How old are you again?"
"Seventeen, sir."
The young man laughed. "So can now drink eh? In France, kids your age are starting to experience social drinking in parties."
'This is Japan, you dimwit!' Naruto thought as he shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't really drink yet, sir. Minors are not allowed to drink in Japan and –"
"Oh, c'mon, Uzumaki! I won't tell Hakuren-sensei that you will be drinking tonight. Besides, this is the last night you will ever see me as a nii-san. Starting on Monday, I'll be handling your Math classes for sure. I'll be your sensei!"
'I can't wait,' Naruto grimly thought as he accepted the glass filled with sake.
Naruto gulped continuously and as the liquor traveled to his throat, his thoughts lingered on a certain cocky, young man, with famously dark, duck-butt hair.
How he wished Sasuke was here by his side right now.
Weird.
Well, two throats were better than one, right?
God, he badly wanted to go home now...
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TBC