Chapter 6

The hot sun and its rays touched the surface of Naruto's skin as he mushes his hand with wet clothes inside a bucket handmade and silver. He sighed heavily, gazes up to Louise's window where she sat tapping her thin pencil lightly against her desk. The extravagant carving on her desk displayed itself for everyone to see. But Louise expressed trouble, stress; she felt unwell after reading a certain letter that makes her nervous periodically.

She attempts to stand, her hand sliding down her thin frame, her pink locks limping to the side, both cautious and carefully. She found the mail this morning and dropped it when she found out who it was from. She swallows hard, sweat dripping from the side of her temple, "You can do this Louise. They won't ask you back, they believe you…" she takes a deep breath.

Her thin fingers wrapped around the white paper, creating wrinkles, no realization that she's pressing harshly and like fire, she hisses, dropping it back down, "Damn it." She curses. The door to her room swings open and Naruto walks in with a basket filled with an assortment of clothes. His eyes widen with curiosity, becoming suspicious, "Whoa, what's the matter with you?"

Louise sighed, realizing she couldn't hide it anymore. Her face blushed pink and her lips quivered, "My parents. It's been a whole year since I've heard from them and they suddenly send me a letter."

"That should be good…right?" Naruto folds one of the panties nicely at the side. Louise sits next to him, looking at blank air for answers.

"No it's not. Firstly, I was sent to a hospital and my parents have connections to find out if I was sent to the hospital, secondly, I got this letter when I came out and knowing my parents, they don't waste time so this isn't a coincidence. There's a good chance they're going to try and keep me home this time."

It takes a second for Naruto to register what he heard, "…leave school? You're going to leave school but what about me? What happens to me? I get to follow you right? I know I appeared in your world but I can still disappear forever Louise!" Naruto freaks out, "I might die. There's still so much I want to do. I want to fly. I want to become a hero again. I want a family, kids, Louise…you can't let me die, and you're going to take me right?"

Louise turns her eyes at him, troubled, "Let's just say…when I brought in a wild squirrel for a pet when I was small. They cooked it and fed it to the sharks."

Naruto's ghost seeps from his lips, disappearing to the sky. Louise tugs against the ghost's tail, grunting, "Oh no you don't. You're not some dirty squirrel Naruto, you're my familiar. You're my hero and I'm going to need your help more than anyone's."

Naruto sighed, climbing down from heaven and returning to his body. He closed his eyes, uncomfortable, humming to himself as he tries to grind the old gears again. Naruto's smart but his mind isn't efficient. He only becomes smart when things get down and dirty, but just going over a plan and he's a simpleton.

"What are you going to have me do?" Naruto asked, aging by the second. Louise couldn't look him in the eyes. She treats him like a slave and she knows she lets her temper get to her most of the time but she genuinely thinks Naruto as a hero. She respects his strengths and only wishes to aid his weaknesses.

Having a hero forced into a situation that he's considered less is something she would never have him do unless it was absolutely necessary or he's talking to other girls. She hates it when he talks to other girls. The time when they did the show and tell, that was their moment and he promised to be her hero.

He has no business with other girls…

Louise suddenly ended up glaring at Naruto, gritting her teeth. It made her sad that he'll break his promise like that which brought tears to her eyes and being said makes her angry, ferocious even, "You dirty perverted slave…" Louise shot at him randomly.

Naruto eyes widened, bewildered, "Eh!?"

They weren't able to come to a conclusion that day…

IOIOIOIOI

The sun was setting and Louise decided to keep the letter at bay until they have clear heads, well mostly her, but anyways, they haven't found a solution. Naruto was climbing the stairs, stretching his arms wide with a tired look on his face. It's been a while since he's been 'worked' by Louise and surprisingly enough; her chores actually help him keep in shape so to an extent he liked it.

He opened the door groggily, barely keeping his stance. He really overworked his body today and even though Louise's chores were at his limit, he surpassed it by helping the other staff around and tried to be as useful as he can. Naruto trained hard in the shinobi world and is probably the strongest one here physically even without his abilities but working all day, all the time can still put some stress on a guy.

Louise was sitting on her mirror desk, with an upsetting expression. She just fixed her whole makeup set and also folded both his and her clothes because of how messy he was, "You should try and be cleaner, otherwise I might have to work you at night too just to make sure keep habit of being clean."

Naruto mumbles something unintelligible, dragging his body to the soft bed he slept in since Louise's hospital days. Louise looked shock, watching his body go limp on her fresh sheets, dirtying them, "Oh no you don't!" She grabbed his legs, tugging Naruto's body but to no avail.

She cleaned the bed personally because she's aware Naruto helps the staff when he's done with his usual chores. So extra chores that sprung from nowhere, she does it herself, and the man just came back covered in sweat and took the liberty of dumping his body on her bed.

She took out her whip, squeezing it with force, "Naruto…!" she yelled and extended her hand back to whip Naruto but Naruto quickly counters and grabs her hand. He was irritated and accustomed to living by himself. He had no manners for anyone else within his own home and he wasn't thinking clearly because he's so tired.

"I think you're underestimating my own strength Louise…" he looks her dead in her eyes. Louise never saw this side of him before. She looked flustered, overwhelmed as she tries to break free from his hold. He wasn't hurting her but he was making an example that he had the ability to do so.

Louise looked to her one free arm and searched for anything that could help her, "You won't hurt me right?" Louise asked, trying to give the best innocent expression she had. Naruto was tired to the bone, almost appeared drunk and replied, "I might…"

Louise swallowed hard but bit her tongue and looked forward, "Then try it." She glared, matching his intensity, "You're stronger, you're faster and sometimes you can be smarter than me but I'll be damn if you have more courage than I do."

Louise was pushed around her whole life. When she was little, she had two older sisters who always received praise while she was incapable of magic. Being a noble and incapable of magic, she might as well been left in the gutter. The whole world, the noble life, everything was against her and it was eating her alive, making her feel sad, lonely and even suicidal sometimes. But then she found out something no one can take, something that can only be lost if she gives it.

Her courage, her will, her ideals and her respect for herself. It made her stubborn, idiotic even at times but it made her stronger, faster, and smarter that no beast, not even Naruto can threaten her livelihood.

Naruto snapped from his tired, unconscious mode and looked surprised at himself, "Louise…" he looked directly in her eyes and saw the fire of Konoha running rampant. It even frightened him as to let go and apologize for his actions but Louise took matters in her own hands before he could fix it.

She grabbed the wand from her bedside table and yelled words Naruto couldn't understand. The spell failed but created a huge explosion, blasting all her hard work to the side and her bed was even more of a mess.

Naruto found himself on the bed, darkened by ash and Louise lying on top of him, equally gazed. He looked all over the room, charred, and broken. There was glass all over the floor and her pink walls colored black.

Naruto then heard a whimper from Louise and felt warm tears pressing against her chest. Louise appeared to be crying, and Naruto didn't know why. Was it because of how he acted? He embraced Louise, looking confused, "I'm sorry Louise. I didn't mean it. I wasn't thinking clearly and this kind of zone happens time and time because of what happened to me before."

"It's not that…" Louise said, still hiding her face, "Naruto…I need someone." She finally said, "I don't care if you hate me, or if you want to leave me but I need someone…I need you. I believe in you. There's no one else I believe in, trust, or…" she didn't finish the last word of that sentence, "My family. They hated me. I hated them. The only one I could really trust was my oldest sister and I know this is cruel, messed up of me but I can't keep her company because she's sick. My mom said it would only be bad for her health."

"They don't understand me! And to be fair, I don't understand them…I don't think there's any way to fix that but you don't know how lonely it felt when I lost contact with my oldest sister. When I went to academy, alone, and everyone looked at me like some kind of fool. You're the only one who didn't do that. You smiled, you were happy being with me even though I treated you badly all the time. And when I saw you look at me with those eyes, the same eyes of my family, the same eyes as everyone in this school…you don't know how it felt-"

Naruto stopped her. He looks deeply into her eyes and swallows hard, "I do know how it feels. I've been there and you don't know how sorry I am to make you feel that way. I guess this time warp, world travel thing hasn't register to me well and my personality switches when I'm completely fatigue but believe me when I say this Louise. I know how you feel. I will never let you feel that again. Ever."

Louise looked unsure, "Are you sure…do you promise?"

Naruto smiled, grinning from ear to ear, "Believe it!"

Louise felt happy. She felt really happy. Even though her room was in shambles or her clothes and bed sheets are ruined and even though she has to addressed the letter from her parents which would lead her to address her parents themselves. She felt overjoyed that Naruto is going to be by her side through everything, so overjoyed that she…

Naruto felt her warm, soft lips press against his.

IOIOIOIOI

A/N: Oooh, Naruto, Louise kissing. I wonder if Naruto would take this in good will or would he be too shocked and not ready to take it in? Also how you think Louise is going to get her parents to accept Naruto and what else lies ahead of these two? Talk about it with me and thanks for reading!