"There are no accidental meetings between souls."
-Unknown.
Ｐｒｏｌｏｇｕｅ
The Mid-13th Century
A curse was placed on his world centuries before he was even born. There was a time when diseases, famine, and even old age would not have occurred naturally. As a result, the Black Death that would have wiped out half of the world's population never took place. This led to overpopulation on the planet which caused animals and plants that did not inherit immortality to suffer greatly.
As time wore on, things got out of hand until one day, out of the blue, they appeared through an interconnection between the spiritual and physical worlds. In both realms, their sole purpose was to maintain balance.
They were not human though their appearance was deceptive. They were a powerful force of nature with the sole purpose of keeping balance.
The humans called these beings Specters.
Although they were perceived as worldly beings, the Specters had their own set of flaws. They were prone to falling for worldly possessions, making them no better than the humans they were supposed to keep in check. Over time as the world progressed and the population leveled out, mankind embraced Specters as a way of life.
Ｔｈｅ Ｓｐｅｃｔｅｒ
1999 Present Day
The students of Konoha High weren't fools when the rumor spread that a Specter would be attending, they knew no good ever came from a Specter showing up.
"Listen up class," Their heads shot up like deer in headlights, as they stopped whispering amongst themselves about the news.
"I'm about to lay down a few ground rules. This will be the first time we've had a Specter attend our school!" The class burst into more whispers.
"Silence!" Iruka barked, and in response, his students fasten their lips shut.
"Rule Number One! No eye contact, we don't know their temperament." He made sure his voice was steady and concise he knew most of his students had the attention span of a goldfish.
The class exchanged worried glances.
"Rule Number Two! No speaking to the Specter, unless spoken to."
Once again, they knew next to nothing about the young Specter attending their school. Umino Iruka was determined to ensure the safety of his students first and foremost. The more diligent students began writing down the rules they were afraid of making a mistake they had a legitimate reason to be afraid.
"Rule Number Three! No touching of any kind!"
From a friend's reassuring pat to the gentle caress of a lover, it was essential not to touch if one was entirely sure whether Specters could kill their victims with just a single touch. Iruka wasn't ready to find out for himself and would avoid touching him altogether.
"Rule Number Four! It is critical you do not antagonize the Specter."
In Iruka's eyes, they weren't children nor were they yet fully grown. He also knew that because of their age, they were more likely to react without considering the consequences of their actions.
They found it funny to tease one another and press each other's buttons. The last thing this high school teacher wanted was a massacre on his hands because someone decided to prank the Specter.
When Iruka tried to deliver the final rule of the day, he was interrupted by the creaking of the classroom door. Two dark-haired individuals crossed the threshold; without another word, the taller one had turned and strolled back out of class, with no kind of acknowledgment toward Iruka or the shell-shocked students.
What was that all about? Iruka was an unflappable man, and yet the Specters were as beautiful as they were lethal. The Bible stated that Satan was the most beautiful of angels, and look how well that turned out. Subconsciously, Iruka stifled his chuckle with a loud cough.
"Class this is our newest student, Uchiha Sasuke." He announced, looking at his students intently. Some of them avoided eye contact and turned their heads away, fear painted on their faces.
"You can have a seat in the front." Sasuke paused briefly, his all-black uniform creased, pressed, and entirely in place. He claimed the seat Iruka gestured to, sitting upright with an air of nonchalance when a student cried out as he went to reach into his bookbag, pulling out a textbook.
Umino continued lecturing his senior social study class.
So far so good, it wasn't until twenty minutes into the lecture when Iruka noticed an orange hoodie, it stood out against all of the other black school uniforms, and it was located in the back so that could have been why he failed to take notice of it before this was a dress code violation!
This hoodie belonged to a student who had the audacity to be napping as well. The student's hood was pulled over their head so that Professor Iruka couldn't see them.
Instinctively, he glanced at the students sitting on either side of the one napping since his students tended to sit in packs. Instantly, Umino realized who that tattered old hoodie belonged to.
Already, he had reached for his wooden eraser. The students that were in the way instinctively leaned to the side so that he got clear aim. Umino cocked his arm back and with one heavy overhand throw flung the wooden easer across the classroom cracking the boy right on the skull.
"Uzumaki wake up!" He bellowed. His neck flushed red as veins began to bulge.
The classroom was filled with the creaking of wood as each student turned in their seat. "Ow, what the fuck!" The blonde let out a pain-filled cry. He ripped his hoodie back his blonde tress spilling in his face, as he rubbed the spot where the easer connected. He started to get up from his seat, ready for a fight, until he realized that this was actually class. Some of his classmates tried to suppress their giggles.
He looked around before sitting back down.
"Now that I have your attention. Did you hear anything I was saying before?" Iruka watched as Naruto just shrugged. Iruka snorted disapprovingly before continuing his lecture. "You and I are going to have a talk after class."
Confused Naruto turned to look at Shika who gesture that he looked at the person seating in the front. He kept trying to mouth something but it looked like he was saying sex her.
Sex who? Who am I sexing? He mouthed back.
No, you idiot, spec-teeer. Shika then vigorously started jabbing his finger in the direction he was referring to.
"Pay attention!" Iruka's loud yet gruff voice caused them to end their brief exchange.
Just as the bell rang, jarringly signaling the end of class, Naruto's classmates began to pack their belongings and run out in a rush. He watched in utter confusion as no words were spoken. His buddies left him just as abruptly. Was there a fire drill he didn't know about?
As he made his way to the front of the class, he notice Professor Umino beckoning someone over to him. Naruto observed the student approaching his social study teacher with an air of aloofness. He couldn't see their face, only their silhouette but...
As soon as Naruto's bright blue gaze landed on the stunning student with raven hair, his mouth began to dry. The attraction he felt towards them was undeniable.
"Naruto this is Konoha's newest student Sasuke Uchiha." Upon meeting that captivating gaze, Suddenly Naruto felt a weight being pressed down on him. He realized that this was not what he thought it was, albeit whatever they were there could be no denying the extraordinary beauty in front of him.
Awe, shit.
The Previous Night
He finally did it! Give or take, it took a couple of hours, but it was still a small victory. Seventeen-year-old Uzumaki Naruto was able to convince someone to help buy a 12-pack for him. His two childhood friends were tasked with getting the cake and the weed.
He was about to give up hope. Then she appeared, stepping through the crisp night air. The sweet and extremely attractive Hyuga Hinata, come to save the day.
She didn't even recognize him at first. Had it really been that long? He had been standing in front of their local mom-and-pop shop blowing into his hands trying to keep warm.
His sweat suit was not helping shield him against the elements either. That's when she caught his eye. She was hard not to notice. She was wearing a slim grey turtle neck dress and a black fur coat with matching knee-high boots.
In the past, she babysat his best friend, Kiba. When they were younger, she was the object of their obsession. During her high school years, Naruto remembered them peering at her from Kiba's room as she worked on her homework. Her uniform hugged her in all the right places. Their goal was to catch a glimpse of her panties so that they could see what they looked like.
Unfortunately, they never did.
For this reason, the lazy yet cool-tempered Nara Shikamaru, also boisterous and energetic Inuzuka Kiba all became so close. They were always at Kiba's house. So much so that Kiba's mother would joke that she had picked up a few strays.
She fed them every time calling them Kiba's brothers. The Inuzuka house was their sanctuary. They smoked marijuana, listened to music, and play around on Kiba's bass and guitar...
He convinced her to buy him a 12-pack, with his own money, of course, he wasn't a cheapskate. He promised her that if anything happened, he would call her. After years of trying, it took this to get her number. It was a moment of reflection for him.
"Don't make me regret this." Her soft voice held this firmness as she paused before handing him the 12-pack. He smiled and gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek, before grabbing the cooler and running off.
"Thank you!" He shouted over his shoulder he wasted enough time it was already getting late. Naruto failed to notice her red face as he dashed off.
Another year passed since his parent unfortunate death, but this did not make it any less painful. The Specters were there to keep balance, but what did his parents ever do?
They were crushed to death underneath the weight of their own apartment building, due to a catastrophic event.
Their new apartment complex was destroyed shortly after he was born. and if it weren't for the fact that he was a preemie and had to stay in the NICU at the time he would have most likely suffered the same fate.
There was no earthquake warning, nothing, it was known as the disaster of the century all the inhabitants in the vicinity perished.
The three of them were planted on their backs staring up at the night sky, from on top of one of the roofs of those new model homes. They were drinking and smoking marijuana, pondering their lives with each passing minute.
"I wonder if there's a list." He stared into the dark nothingness above him and felt just as alone as the night sky.
"Hm?" In order to get a good view of Naruto, Shika had to crane his neck up. Naruto was stationed in the middle of his two friends.
"Do they have a list that we're all on?" He took a drag of the joint before going into a coughing fit. Kiba reached over snatching the joint.
"Stop hogging the weed, vacuum lungs." He took a hit and quickly down his can, letting out a huge burp, and passing it back to Naruto to give to Shika.
"What kind of list?" Shika was intrigued. His deep chocolate gaze never broke from the sky.
"Do the Specters have all our names and certain ways we are supposed to die? I bet it has when we're supposed to go also." He finished off his final can for the night.
Shika shrugged even though he knew his friends were not looking at him. "Makes sense." He took a swig.
Naruto was fortunate to have them usually he'd go tag something or just walk until he felt numb, but it was his friend's idea to spend his parent's anniversary/birthday, drinking, smoking, and contemplating life.
"I'm gonna miss summer break, I don't want to go to school tomorrow."
"Fuck..." Naruto slapped his forehead. He hadn't the faintest clue where his school uniform was.
Kiba began to chuckle, finding the funny side, "Don't tell me you forgot man?"
"Cheers," Shika said as they raised whatever they were holding in their hands. It was a way to start off their senior year.
That morning they awoke with a hangover cursing their life choices before heading to school.
AN:
This is a mixture of different story concepts that I read over the past few years. However, it is with my own spin on things. I want to do a romantic story since Valentine's Day is coming up... Hopefully, Someone will like it lol fingers crossed.