Hey there fanfictioners! It's time for another update. I don't have any idea how long it will be since I have yet to start writing it at this point, and I only know the general outline of it at the moment. I seem to be possessed by a bit of writer's block, but hopefully I can overcome it while I write this in class. Hope you guys enjoy it!
Also, I've been trying to work on writing in Mouse's POV, because she provides an interesting viewpoint to write from (in my opinion) and I need to work on character development. I realize that most of the stuff that comes from her point of view will be confusing and possibly disjointed, due to the lack of information on who is who in her point of view. I am well aware that it could be irritating for a few readers, but I'm afraid that you'll just have to put up with it for the story. :l
A soft breeze gently tugged at the ends of Mouse's hair, a few strands tickling her cheek as she stared at her surroundings. Bright sunlight shone down, casting shadows underneath the trees spread out around her and warming the chill afternoon air. The blades of grass reached up towards the white orb shining in the vast, cloudless blue dome above them, colored green even though it was mid-November. Flowers grew in small patches across the expanse of green that suddenly ended and gave way to dirt around the swing set Mouse currently occupied with Crow. Farther out, other play sets of varying size and purpose were occupied by several screaming children, the oldest of which couldn't be more than eleven. The parents of said shrieking posterities sat a few yards away on benches, talking to each other or looking around the park, all while keeping an eye on their respective charges.
Mouse nudged her foot against the ground slightly, resulting in her swing moving backwards a few inches before gliding forward again. The girl's attention honed in on the patterns and scuffs in the dirt, eyes picking out individual pebbles, bugs, and even grains of dirt if she focused on any particular section. She winced at a particularly loud screech of delight emitted as a little girl of about five slid down one of the many slides. She nodded absentmindedly at something Crow was saying from the swing next to her, not actually hearing the entire sentence. Silence fell between them, broken only by the sound of Crow reaching into the front pocket of her hoodie and removing a stick of candy before placing it between her lips.
The candy sticks had become a welcome habit to Mouse (who usually had a few herself) and the rest of Akatsuki. Crow had once had the habit of smoking, but out of consideration for Akatsuki's more…sensitive members had quit, using the sticks of candy as a substitute. Crow still kept the lighters from her old habit, occasionally using them to melt the ends of the candy out of boredom, which was precisely what she was doing at the moment. The butane lighter made a sharp metallic snick as Crow flicked the flame on and off, a bored look adorning her features.
"That lady over there is watching us, you know?" Mouse mused absentmindedly, tilting herself back to stare up at the sky above, gloved hands wrapped tightly around the swing chain. She pushed off the ground and swung her legs to get her swing moving. Crow eyes flashed up to find the woman Mouse had indicated, then settled back on the orange flame that flickered inches from her nose, letting out a very impressive and unladylike snort.
"Like I care." She stated bluntly, lips moving around the cherry flavored stick jammed firmly between her teeth. "She can look all she wants. She's probably just some stuck up, middle class-er who thinks she's superior to trash like us." Mouse's feet slid across the dirt with a loud grating sound as she stopped her motion and sat up, cocking her head to the side.
"Yeah, pretty much." Mouse said after a few moments. "It's more directed at me though. She doesn't like how I look and thinks I'm some street child whose parents can't afford decent clothing and that I probably do drugs in alleyways at night. She thinks I'm too young to look the way I do and all that. You, she thinks, are going to end up setting things on fire and possibly being a prostitute since you're actually pretty. She's disappointed at us both for living the lives we do and believes whole heartedly that we're letting our whole future slip away because we do nothing but sit in parks and play with lighters."
"Damn." Crow said after a slight pause. She flicked the lid back onto her lighter and stuffed it into the pocket of her hoodie. "You got all that in one go?"
"Yup." Mouse replied, breaking off the end of Crow's candy and biting into it, ignoring her friends indignant exclamation.
Silence settled once again over the two, and Mouse looked around the park in quiet speculation. There were several people about, either around the play-sets or wandering down the paths and not for the first time Mouse was thankful for the fact that no one in the city knew the identities of any of the members of the notorious "gang". Mouse tilted her head back and stared at the leaves of the oak tree above her. Already the leaves were beginning to fall, the trees shedding their glorious robes of fiery shades. Splashes of sapphire blue peeked through the ever growing gaps in the tree covers, infused with a tint of white sunshine. A slight smile slipped across Mouse's face. Konoha truly was a beautiful place, especially for a large city.
The metropolis spread out in a seven mile radius, a bustling cityscape filled with shining skyscrapers that stretched towards the sky in its center. While it wasn't quite the concrete jungles of Tokyo and New York, it was still fairly big and nearly confusing at first glance. However, there was one defining feature that set Konoha apart from the rest of the world's cities. That feature was the massive forest of oaks, maples, and even pines that surrounded sprawling city, as well as the fields and parks dotting its interior. The parks themselves held several varieties of trees and flowers; some native to the region and others imported from other countries or hybridized variations.
Konoha's parks were monuments of beauty and artistry in and of themselves, and were arguably one of the cities proudest projects, with the exception of the monument carved from granite that stood in the center of the biggest park. This monument had been erected soon after the city was established. The citizens had elected a young, local artist to sculpt a huge statue of the city's first mayor in honor of all the hard work and sacrifice he put in to the building of their home. As the years went by and a new mayor was elected, the same artist had once again created a statue and placed it alongside the first. The third statue was of the cities third and now current mayor, Sarutobi Hiruzen. The old man had the longest running office of the cities for mayors.
Mouse blinked thoughtfully up at the leaves shaking softly in the wind, a somber mood taking hold of her thoughts. The fourth and final statue that stood in the center of that particular park was also the largest. It depicted a man standing tall and proud towards the East, head tilted up slightly as if he were truly watching the sun rise each morning above the tree tops. Other than its size, the expression that was carved into the granite face was the stone monuments greatest feature. A smile, small and peaceful, was etched onto the lips as the statue watched the sun. His eyes seemed to stare much more fully out than his stoic companions, and his hair looked as if it were blowing in a gentle breeze.
This man was Namikaze Minato, the cities fourth and most memorable mayor. He had been the youngest man to ever be elected for the office, but his kindness and love for the city more than made up for his lack of experience. Under his care, Konoha thrived and grew, becoming one of the most peaceful cities in Japan. The citizens loved him and the whole city was devastated when they learned of the accident that had killed him sixteen years before. The statue was their final 'thank you' to the man they so greatly admired.
Mouse had never seen the Yondaime in person, he had died when she was still a baby, but she had seen his legacy and heard the stories of his amazing character. She had concluded that Minato was a man with high morals, a man who could have changed the world if he were still alive. He had done so much, and gave so much to the city, and in the end left much behind. Mouse would openly admit that the Yondaime was a man she greatly respected. Mouse smiled a little wider, letting her eyes travel around the beautiful park once more. Konoha was truly a beautiful city.
But it was a city of fools.
In truth, Mouse would have liked for the city to still be under Minato's watch. It would have made her job a lot easier at least. Mouse was sure that Minato would approve of what her group did, since they shared the common want to protect the citizens from the dangers that lurked in the dark alleys and forest. But unfortunately, the old mayor was dead and the Sandaime had taken up the post again at the urging of the people. While Sarutobi was an ample leader, he was not Minato. The peace that was part of the Fourth's leadership broke down after he died and Sarutobi was not able to keep that peace stable.
Beneath the city's skin of normality and calm, someone was either getting arrested or being murdered. Gangs that had slipped into faded memories of long ago were now back and prominent in Konoha's backstreets. Death and despair; that was the everyday life of Konoha's bottom tier. And the rest of Konoha…
God, Mouse hated them.
They were either too uncaring of what happened outside of their own little bubbles of socialites to take notice, or were casting condescending looks of distaste in the direction of the lower population. They were the ones who saw Mouse's group as riff-raff and scourges of the most menacing kind. They believed that Akatsuki was nothing more than a low-class gang of psychopaths who preyed on the people of Konoha. They pretended like they knew everything about the group, when in reality they knew nothing. Rumors flew through the city on disdainful, black wings, and soon the people feared the mysterious group. Mouse frowned. They were all such fools. Letting her gaze drift back to her feet, Mouse pushed off gently against the ground, absorbed in her musings.
The people of Konoha could really grate on Mouse's nerves, both for their stupidity and the fact that there were so many of them. The city housed more than eight-hundred thousand people, and although the city was large and sprawling, the amount of people that occupied the center at all times of the day made it very difficult for Akatsuki to do its work. There was always the danger of someone catching them during a job, either forcing them to retreat or having to leave the scene quickly. Occasionally there were only one or two that the group could catch and then Crow or Weasel could give them a memory swipe. Unfortunately, most people in Konoha had started traveling in groups at night since they discovered the "threat" of Akatsuki.
Another issue they had was the amount of gangs running around through the alleys of Konoha's Underground. Most leaders didn't really take kindly to the group in the beginning, seeing as how they got the most attention and fear, and seemed to collectively have a grudge against Akatsuki. More than once did the small band have to deal with members of gangs attempting to kill them or track their hideouts. For the most part, Akatsuki went unhindered by these small attacks and threats, keeping hidden from even the best of Konoha's trackers. They interacted as less as they could and were rewarded with the air of mystery that surrounded the group.
A sharp sound of several high pitched shrieks caught Mouse's attention. Looking up, she spotted a small group of children chasing each other across the park. A soft smile touched her lips. Konoha really was a beautiful city even with its dark secrets and faults, and although most of the population was a nuisance to her, there were still her reasons for wanting to protect it.
Even though she didn't have much sentiment towards it, this was still her home. She lived here and had friends that lived here who needed to be protected from the murderous shadows trying to engulf the city. Looking across the vast stretches of the park, Mouse was reminded of the main reason she had decided to reform Akatsuki and have them become Konoha's "guardian angels" so to speak.
There were approximately two hundred thousand people under the age of 18 in Konoha. They were, as the mayors of the past had put it, the future of Konoha, who inherited our city's "Will of Fire". They would live on to become the next generation of doctors, lawyers, and protectors of their beloved city. But they were woefully unprotected themselves, and Mouse wanted to give them a future free of having to be used as food for what prowled Konoha's streets at night. The children would one day grow up, inheriting their parents' judgmental views, but Mouse would keep protecting them until the day that she died, regardless.
Mouse spotted a group of teenagers walking down the path. A splash of bright yellow and orange attracted her eyes to the boy half shouting at the front of the group. A sad smile crossed her face. This was one of the many things that the Yondaime had left behind when he had died; His young son who had been born the night of his death, Uzumaki Naruto. The boy was a perfect example of why the citizens angered her so much. Humans tended to do hateful things in their grief, and Konoha was no exception.
When the people had learned of the death of the mayor's wife, Kushina, upon childbirth, they mourned the loss of a figure they held dear to their hearts. But rumors flew fast between the superstitious mothers of the city. Naruto had been born on the night of the Kyuubi, a demon from the folklore of Konoha's early days. The Kyuubi was a monster that brought nothing but death and destruction and for a child to be born on the tenth night of October was a dark omen to some. Indeed, the wild superstitions and rumors would soon bring forth proof of their authenticity.
As Minato was returning home from a business trip in Suna, he was informed of his wife's death. Struck with grief at her passing, but filled with a small hope and the urge to see his newborn son, the mayor had raced to the hospital in his car. No one was quite sure what had happened after Minato had left the runway of the airport. The police report had been that the car had lost control as it hydroplaned on a puddle leftover from the recent rain. The body was burned almost beyond recognition in the resulting fire, but it was soon identified as the cities beloved mayor.
With this new blow dealt to Konoha, the people turned the blame to the baby. They blamed him and his unlucky birth for the deaths of two of their most beloved idols and most were filled with a deep-seated hatred of the boy, claiming that he would be nothing but trouble and ruin the city one day. They shunned the boy, debating whether or not to end his existence to save themselves the inevitable trouble they believed would come to them if he was allowed to live. Luckily, he was taken in by the doctor present at his birth, and she raised him as her own, protecting him from the people who hated him so much.
Mouse watched the grinning boy who so closely resembled Minato, studying him with eyes slightly narrowed. Naruto was, in a way, like her. Hated by many and alone since birth. But for those few similarities, the two were completely different.
Where Mouse was dark and somber, Naruto was bright and optimistic. Where Mouse gave up long ago, Naruto kept persevering. While Mouse couldn't feel anything half the time, Naruto could. He could feel such an array of emotions, it made Mouse nearly jealous. He meant every expression that crossed that happy face of his. But most amazingly of all, and much to Mouse's wonder, Naruto had squashed every bit of hate he had towards the people of Konoha. He did not really hate them just because they were overly superstitious for no reason at all, nor did he shun them as they did him. Instead, he loved the city and its people, for all their faults and secrets, a feat that Mouse found impossible to accomplish and completely naïve. Then again, she had to remind herself whose son this was after all.
She liked Naruto; he was a good kid, kind and caring for everyone. He was strong, not just physically either, and he valued his friends above everything. He could be a little annoying at times, being as loud as he was, but that just made him all the more of a resemblance of the Yondaime. The boy had great dreams too, dreams that Mouse approved of wholeheartedly. Naruto wanted to become mayor of the city, not only so he could protect them, but so that he could prove that he was somebody worthy to the citizens. Mouse had silently cheered for him when she chanced upon his goal; he was the son of Namikaze Minato. There was no doubt in her mind that Naruto really could change the world one day. And she would be there with her Akatsuki, helping him protect those precious people he cared so much for when he could not. In truth, Mouse was used to that bright smile plastered across the boy's face, even if it was a bit fake. She could not bear the sight to see someone like Naruto, who had worked so hard for that small bit of happiness, lose it all.
So she would endure it all, the hate, the hiding, the secrets, the lies, all of it. She could put up with the heartless, uncaring Konoha to protect them all. She would do it for people like Naruto, who grew up never knowing his real mother and father; for the innocent children who would one day grow up to cast disapproving stares on people like her; for the mayor who had loved this city with every fiber of his being and had given them all so much; for everyone who needed protection from the dead, and even the ones that really could just go ahead and die. Yes, Mouse could endure.
Afterall, Konoha was such a beautiful place…
oooOOOOOooo
Sakura slipped her arm around Naruto, mouth wide in a loud laugh as the two skipped ahead of the small group and towards the center of the park. A stretch of concrete marred the yellowing expanse of grass and four statues towered up above them. The two friends ignored the slightly annoyed and amused shouts of the others to wait for them and jumped farther ahead. When they got to the concrete edge, Naruto released his hold on the small girl's shoulders and dashed ahead excitedly, arms held out slightly and a laugh dancing off of his lips. Sakura smiled softly to herself; Naruto reminded her of a child on Halloween whenever he ran like that.
The exuberant blonde stopped in front of the tallest statue and glanced up at it, hands placed on his hips and head craning back to stare at its face. Even from this distance, Sakura could see the huge grin plastered across his face. She slowed down to allow the rest of their friends to catch up and continued to walk towards Naruto. His bright orange and black jacket stirred slightly from the wind and his blonde spikes of hair tousled gently along to the side. Somehow, Naruto had convinced them all to go on a break to the park. Sakura shivered lightly in the chill breeze and tugged her jacket tighter around her small frame. Rubbing her arms she grumbled inwardly to herself, wondering why she had agreed to come out in the cooling fall weather. She jumped slightly as an arm slung heavily around her neck and a barking laugh sounded loudly near her ear.
"Cold there, Shorty?" Kiba grinned as Akamaru trotted up on the girl's other side, tail wagging happily. Sakura scowled up at the loud brunette and jabbed her elbow into his side lightly.
"Yes I am dog breath," she said, turning her attention to the oversized dog nudging at her arm incessantly. "So what if I am?"
"How can you be cold?" Kiba half shouted in disbelief, rubbing his side slightly. "I'm burning up!" Sakura eyed the Inuzuka boy wearily, taking in his apparel. It escaped her how he could be out in sixty below weather in nothing but khaki shorts and a t-shirt, and still be hot. The pinkette just shook her head and sighed.
"Only you would complain about it being too hot Inuzuka." A bored voice said behind the two. Sakura refocused her attention on scratching Akamaru's ears before he knocked her over while Kiba looked back at whoever had spoken.
"Ah, shut it, Hyuuga." Kiba retorted, stuffing his hands deep into his pockets. Sakura tuned out the argument that followed, absentmindedly scratching at Akamaru while keeping her eyes on her feet. Halloween was coming up relatively quickly, and that meant an increase of homework, party ideas that would be passed between the groups, and other plans they were all sure to come up with. It would be getting very busy within the next few weeks and Sakura really wasn't looking forward to it. The girl subconsciously began chewing on her nails, a habit she had developed whenever she was anxious or worried. A pair of bright orange converse came into her field of vision and Sakura looked up.
Naruto was still standing in front of the statue of the Fourth, arms now dangling by his sides and grin replaced by a look of quiet seriousness. A touch of sadness glimmered in his cerulean blue eyes and Sakura stepped up quietly beside him. Glancing up, she examined the intricately carved marble statue that towered above them.
"It's incredible, ne?" Naruto asked quietly. Sakura nodded solemnly beside her best friend.
"Yeah."
"How one city, filled with thousands of people, would make a monument this important for just one person."
"You'd have to be someone pretty incredible to be able to get a statue this big." Sakura glanced at Naruto from the corner of her eye.
"That's gonna be me one day, ya know?" Naruto looked down at the smaller girl. Sakura felt a sense of pride as she saw the determination burning brightly in his eyes. A grin split his face.
"They're gonna make a statue of me that'll make the Fourth's look like nothing!"
Sakura couldn't help but grin back. Naruto had always been obsessed with becoming the next mayor of Konoha. He wanted to prove to everyone that he could do it, despite what they all believed about him. Sakura knew the rumors; she had heard them all when she was a little girl. She knew as well as Naruto did how difficult it would be to win over the people that lived outside of their little world at Konoha High. But Naruto was always so determined, so optimistic, Sakura had a hard time believing that he wouldn't be chosen in the end. She buried her hands farther down into her jacket pocket and glanced back up at the statue's face.
"You sure about that, Whiskers?"
She couldn't help it. She had asked that same question over a thousand times, and he always answered her the same way. It had become a sort of ritual for them, one that they both seemed to thrive on the most.
"You better believe it, Pinky."
Bleh! This took me forever to get through! O.o
But I finally did! It's Christmas break for me so hopefully I can write a lot more. I have four chapters that need to be written. They may not be woefully long, but we'll see. I have to get the last two updated for their respective holidays since I missed out on updating for Halloween and Thanksgiving.
Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and remember! READ AND REVIEW PLEASE! It makes my day extremely brighter to know that people are actually reading this and the encouragements are fairly appreciated. I still would like to have a Beta if anyone wants to volunteer, and if anyone has a chapter request, say for like a fill-in chapter of character interaction they would like me to write, I'll include it into the storyline if it doesn't interfere with the overall plot. Because I don't want to rush this story, "filler" chapters are greatly needed since there's only so many things I can think of. T.T
Pleases and Thank you's to all!
~Cherry