Gerimis

Mystification, befuddlement, distraction. fog… Naruko was swimming in it all. If only she could define what she was feeling right now and just accept Sasuke’s friendship then everything would be ok in her small world.

The dark haired boy had told her that he had a motive for befriending her. Truthfully she did not care what the motive was, it couldn't be an evil objective since he had protected her before. Furthermore, like she had repeated often times in her head, a friend of Kakashi, also a friend of Ino is harmless…

Naruko snickered inside. Sasuke? Harmless? Yeah, right. But right now standing beside him while pretending to look around at the nature surrounding them, while stealing looks at him, she was feeling nervous but contented.

Naruko had enough people befriending her before for various reasons that she had enough practice of being wary. First be wary, be very wary, then the true motive will eventually rear its head.

The past always comes back as a life lesson.

………...Flashback to three years ago.

………...One afternoon.

………...School cafeteria.

As Naruko was sitting down on a table alone to eat, a menacing looking bully walked in leading a gang of bully. At that moment Naruko happened to look at the leader’s way and accidentally locked eyes with him. The bully a few years older than her squinted his eyes at her. In return, she looked down at her food and began eating quickly. She felt his piercing gaze even as he walked to the food queue.

Later, the bully and his gang sat at the table next to her. He began addressing her loudly.

“Hey Blondie, did something caught your eyes? Your momma taught you to stare? See anything good?” He laughed almost like a banshee.

“Did Momma also dress you in that ugly orange rag?” The whole gang howled in laughter like it was an incredibly funny and appropriate joke.

Naruko seethed at his words, but she couldn’t show her anger at school. An orphan like her had no one influential to back up should anything happen. Chiyo-baachan was just a regular citizen with no power nor wealth to her name, therefore Naruko remained silent.

A plenty of people had mocked her about not having a mom before and to fight about something she couldn’t help change was frustrating. Therefore it was useless to be show her rage so she kept it inside.

Naruko opt to eat earlier after that, thus sometimes able to avoid the senior most times. But the bullies have marked her, and continued to talk bad about her until three weeks later.

“Hey, here's a pie for you. My sister baked extras today. It's for the …. Umm…,” he fidgeted and lowered his voice, “all the things I said before this.” He then returned to his table and continued like nothing happened. The rest of the gang also acted like their leader didn't just handed Naruko a pie, a freaking peace offering.

The boy then began treating her kindly, or at least did not mock her openly anymore. Naruko’s bullshit radar switched on as the guy only changed his attitude towards her while still bullying her other school mate.

The next week, he came into the cafeteria as usual, glared at her as usual, but instead of sitting with his gang, he sat opposite her.

“I heard that Mrs Yuki gave you a final warning for the photocopied textbook. Here’s my copy from last year,” said the bully as he pushed a book at her. There was a metre gap between him and her.

“Why would I want this?” she pushed the book at him. Mrs Yuki is against students photocopying textbooks though they were quite pricey.

He grinned ferally and answered, “Because I will personally tell Mrs Yuki that I saw you at the photocopy shop.” This time he pushed a receipt with her name on it.

Naruko recoiled at the faux receipt but it did come from the shop where she usually photocopies her classmate’s books.

“Why would you go to such length for this?” Naruko’s appetite was already gone at such inane threat. Luckily she had eaten three quarters of her meal.

Naruko turned and said through gritted teeth, “If you want anything from me just say it.”

He smirked and left the table for his gang’s table, while on the way he bowed and whispered to her. “Ask Snow Princess if she has any allergies, chocolate or flowers.”

He continued smirking and then walked towards his gang, who stood and left the cafeteria while ignoring her completely.

“Assholes,” she muttered but she was grinning. It was a piece of cake for her.

………...The next day.

Naruko came in twenty minutes after the recess bell sounded, in her arm was the book which the bully had forcefully given her.  She sauntered across the cafe towards the bullies’ table, dropping the book and opened to a page.

“Here’s your information. Now you can start treating me like a nobody again.”

The bully smiled as Naruko strutted for the exit.

………...a week later Valentine’s Day.

“Hey blondie, here’s a box of pavlova made by my sister. Finish it or I’ll make you… shine my shoes for a month.”

By this time Naruko had the nerve to look placidly at the bully who was standing alone beside her table. Grinning widely, he then placed a large box of chocolate with ribbons on the table right beside her. His posse was gone, maybe to romance their poor girlfriends or boyfriends.

“Can you? Can…. you pass this to her?”

Upon seeing the chocolates, Naruko arched an eyebrow and looked smugly at the bully.

“The snow princess? Sure.” Snow princess was the nickname of her very pretty classmate, hair blonde to the degree of white, skin as white as snow, and a pair of pale lavender eyes. She was also the only girl who cared to talk to Naruko at school while all the girls ignored her.

“Yeah, yeah leave it there. I’ll pass it when I finish my lunch,” Naruko waved a hand and gestured to the table.

The bully smiled and said loudly. “Well, if she did not get it as soon as possible, you will be my slave for a week.”

“You wish!” she hollered at the bully, as he exited the cafe.

From the corner of the cafe Naruko saw Shion glaring at their interaction with so much envy that Naruko almost choke on her yogurt. Naruko, gulped down her drink, picked up the chocolate box and approached Shion. She looked at the Snow Princess in the eyes while dramatically putting the chocolate box on the table, “He is all yours, not my taste at all.”

Afterwards, the bully started showing up to eat lunch with his new girlfriend. If their eyes met, the bully would raise his eyes and smirk at Naruko. Naruko would roll her eyes at him and went on her way.

Naruko thought it was a good tactic, though a little dirty. A two pronged plan on the bully’s part, first to publicly show kindness to one of his bully victim and secondly to gain attention and information on the girl he liked.

Naruko sighed, though she lacked love in the familial kind, she was always careful to expect love from any boys. Boys were dangerous she conceded. Chiyo-baachan’s attention on her alone was enough for now.

Sasuke ate his dangos with one hand while his other hand held a packet of food for Sai and Ino. Meanwhile, Naruko had finished her food and sipped her packet drink. In her other hand she held a bag containing two bottled drinks to accompany the packed food.

They walked leisurely, getting farther and farther from the kiosk until Naruko pointed to a sitting area not far from there. Sasuke sat with his back to the table taking off his beanie in the process, while Naruko sat facing the table. She had a view of the boy in profile.

Naruko eyes’ caught sight of the gravity defying spiky hair on the back of Sasuke’s head, wondering if it's as soft as it looked or was it thick and coarse. She wondered whether she will ever have the chance to touch his hair one fine day. Maybe she could do as one of the ‘three wishes’. For other people that sounds like a real life magic lamp wish, which Naruko still had not thought about until now.

Her mind kept reflecting back at Sasuke’s gentler treatment towards her. When did it start? Was it because he overheard her calling him her ‘friend'? That could be it. But he might have actually started being friendly ever since he got on the train. What made his attitude change? Maybe Ino had schooled him in ‘how to make friends like normal people’.

Naruko stole her hundredth look at Sasuke who looked really relaxed. She moved the bottled drinks on the table behind Sasuke and it knocked against the packet of food, which knocked into him. It caused a harmless impact but Naruko felt obliged to apologize.

“Sorry.”

The boy arched an eyebrow, turned a bit to place his beanie and dango stick on the table. Sasuke then turned back to his original position to continue admiring the scenery. Naruko then noticed the chirping birds and some faint shrieks of small mammals in the bushes. Ignoring them, she opt to continue looking at Sasuke and ponder about the boy.

Meanwhile deep in ROOT’s underground laboratory.

The automatic door slid open as Danzo walked in, behind him an entourage of high ranking military officers. Everyone looking menacingly serious. Behind them an entourage of security guards representing each military officer stayed outside as a precaution. Danzo turned around and looked at the military leaders, he was smiling as he pressed a button on a remote and three windows slid open letting light into the darkened room.

Before them, was a well lit laboratory, Maito Gai. Kakashi and Rin were standing in the far left. A few feet away were Itachi and Kimimaro, the five of them wearing ROOT official wear according to their ranks. In the far right were three males and a female sitting on four high chairs, wearing white.

Danzo moved to the centre and cleared his throat,” Gentlemen, and madam,” he nodded to the sole female leader before him, General Mei Terumi from Kirigakure.

“As we have discussed over the years, the olden power of the ninja world is being rounded up by the armies of Kaguya. It is our fortune that we have attained five out of the ten assumed Jinchuurikis. Colonel Maito Gai, proceed, cut to the chase please.”

Gai nodded and began, “Meet our four Jinchuurikis, the word literally meaning ‘Power of Human Sacrifice’. Within themselves, these youths, contains tailed beasts with immense chakra. They exhibit extraordinary powers which will be demonstrated after this. These tailed beasts were also known as Bijuu and ...”

The wall behind Gai started showing a presentation of artist’s impression of the tailed beasts, their chakra graph and the faces of the Jinchuurikis.  

A military official touched Danzo on his shoulders and whispered something. Maito Gai saw this and paused. However Danzo spoke to the crowd, “I am sure a lot of questions will rise with this presentation. Please, as we have agreed any questions will be entertained after this presentation.”

Danzo then nodded back to Gai, and the green clad man continued.

“Thank you sir, these tailed beasts also known as Bijuu are centuries old and you can refer to their characterstics inside the manual. These four Jinchuurikis.” Gai gestured to the four seated individual, “were born human, no more different from you and me, but at one point their cells were fused with the Bijuus. They have a symbiotic relationship, being interdependent on one another.”

The military leaders began murmuring comments while Danzo turned around and smiled. This subdued them as they resumed watching the presentation.

“Our Jinchuurikis, Killer B, Fuu, Gaara and Yagura. ROOT is blessed that they have pledged alliance with us. The fifth Jinchuuriki is on her way her here, as the chakra beast had just finished analysis last month.” The four Jinchuuriki looked confidently at the leader and smiled, except for Gaara who maintained an impassive expression on his face.”

Gai stepped back to his original spot and, “We will now exhibit the abilities of these Jinchuurikis in how they effectively control, manage and recuperating with the cooperation of their chakra beasts in their bodies. Please refer to the manuals we are handing out now for these terms.”

Itachi, Kimimaro, Kakashi and Rin walked towards the Jinchuuriki and stood beside them in a row.

“First we will have Killer B, fight renowned Konoha martial art expert and CHUNIN top soldier, Itachi Uchiha.”

Killer B stood and shook hands with Itachi while they walked towards the middle of the vast laboratory. They bowed to each other, to signify their respects and then took a readying stance as if to fight.

“Begin,” Gai said and Killer B began whipping out his swords while Itachi activated his Mangekyou Sharingan.

~~~~~~~~~~~~ fight ensues between Itachi and Killer B.

Meanwhile in another laboratory

Four people in goggles watched as a scientist observe the interaction of a free form chakra bijuu behind a reinforced glass container. The chakra moving around in its container like orange smokes crawled on the glass and swirled as if feeling and sensing its surrounding.  

A monitor records the video of the chakra, while two other special devices measures the chakra’s waves.

In another lab three doors down, two people were putting back two cryogenic containers back into storage. As the door to the storage closed, the labels outside in bold capitals: Minato Namikaze, Kushina Uzumaki.

And I am bringing you back to Hokage Hill where our sweethearts, er friends and sweetheart were enjoying the scenery.

"Iwa has some very exquisite flowers. Maybe you should check whether they import to Konoha babe?" Ino commented to her fiance who was snapping pictures of trees.

"Certainly, my dear. Anyway, what’s the name Naruko?” Sai asked as they approached Naruko and Sasuke.

“What name? Oh yeah, the Agro Park.”

“I’m going to have those pictures that you took. I can't for my life write down each and every details, so many kinds of orchids." Ino dropped her bag onto the table.

“Are these for us?” Sai lifted the food packet.

Sasuke and Naruko nodded.

“Great, let’s eat.” Ino placed her bag on the table and unwrapped the food.

"You are such a dear. The girl who have your heart will be so lucky." Ino said nonchalantly while handing the unwrapped food to Sai.

Naruko paused at Ino's words. She didn't notice how Sasuke had been so polite towards his senpai but acted bastardly at her until only just now. Naruko threw the thought away, she better be thinking about what to bring Chiyo since it will be awhile before she visits her foster mother the next time.

“What time will you go visit your foster mom Naruko?” Ino asked.

Naruko glanced at her phone and answered, “Ummm… maybe around 2.00 pm, after she has her lunch.”

“Alright,” Ino replied and began asking Sasuke about some plant they had back in Konoha.

Naruko took the time to watch the scenery around her which she had yet to observe, so peaceful and nice. She wandered back to her thought on what to buy Chiyo.

THE NEXT DAY

“Sasuke, take care of our host ok. I don’t want her grumbling about anything,” Ino waved as Sasuke and Naruko dropped her at the entrance of the Agro Park.

“Sure, at your service my highness,” Sasuke smirked as he drove the car to exit the park, heading for Chiyo’s nursing home.

Naruko grinned foolishly at herself. In her life she has Chiyo, and Anko though they aren’t that close, and Iruka who is becoming more like her brother, Ino, Sai by relation of being Ino’s fiancee, and…. Sasuke.

“Have anyone ever told you that you are cute to look at?” Sasuke suddenly voiced his thought.

Nature’s bullshit radar switched on. “Nope, never.”

“A lot of my friends are great to look at, pretty, beautiful, handsome, breathtaking, cute, various names to describe it, but looks aren’t everything.”

“People don’t come up to me and tell me ‘I’m cute’ ever, but I am comfortable in my own skin. My skin is healthy, I don’t have any skin problems, I can breathe normally, that is reason enough to be thankful for looking average, if one might say so.”

“You don’t look average at all.”

Naruko pursed her lip, “If you are playing me I’m going to seriously hurt you.”

Sasuke smirked. “You sure know how to ruin a perfectly good praise.”

“I usually don’t answer people back, but a praise coming from a bastard like you is worth being mulled over, analyzed and murdered.”

Sasuke grabbed his sweater right on his heart and grimaced. “Ouch!”  

Then he smiled and his face turned serious, “Well, you and I are actually able to have a decent conversation. We don’t necessarily have to be all cultured and respectful, so why are you not expecting me to do anything yet? First wish?”

“You are so random,” Naruko sighed and looked out the door at trees lining the road.

“You need time?”

“Yes time. I need time to think. I used to never have the chance to demand things beyond basic needs.”

“Money?” Sasuke guessed.

“I have enough from working and Iruka sent me too. I appreciate money from hard work.”

Sasuke paused and commented in his mind, “Soon you will have more than enough.”

“Ok. So you want something not related to money?”

“MaybeeeeeeeIdoooooo,” Naruko deliberately dragged her words while eyeing Sasuke.

Sasuke smirked and said, “You are so freaking annoying.”

“And so are you,” Naruko quickly continued.

“So, can you come up with anything by tonight? If not I will force something on you,” he smirked.

Naruko made a disgusted face and was about to retort when they arrived at the nursing home.

“What’s her room number?” Sasuke said and promptly exited the car. Naruko had to run after him as he strode across the parking right into the entrance.

“Hey, wait for me you….. moving so freaking fast!”

As Sasuke stepped to the door, he opened it and let Naruko enter. The blonde girl looked up at Sasuke for a second before realizing that the raven haired teen was holding the door for her.

“T… thanks?”

Sasuke let Naruko lead the way, as he trailed behind her. She approached the counter and behind it a nurse in pink uniform smiled at her.

“Good Morning, Welcome to Tender Loving Care Nursing Home, how may I help you?”

Sasuke smiled and was about to say something when a voice called her.

“Naru, just on time. Chiyo is asking about you.”

Naruko turned around saw Sora. “Hi, Hi Sora,” she smirked awkwardly. Sora smiled at her and bowed at her. “

“She already had her lunch, have you?”

“Yes, I did. With my friends before we send them to the Park. You?”

“I had mine with Chiyo,” Sora smiled.

“Owhh,” Naruko frowned at herself for not thinking about having lunch with her foster mother.

“Well, I am off to work.”

“Ok,” Naruko put a hand on Sora’s hands, “Sora, thank you. Take care”

All the while Sasuke was standing ten feet away looking calmly at the two.

Naruko could not say much more, to say that she will pay back Sora would be a lie as she knew the costs of a private nursing home is very costly. So she could only say thank you for now.

“You are going home tomorrow right? Will I see you around?” Sora suddenly asked Naruko.

“Yeah, after lunch, right Sasuke? I work the night shift, the next day.”

Sasuke frowned at Naruko’s answer but he nodded anyway. He didn’t like the idea of where this conversation was going.

“Have breakfast with me,” Sora caught Naruko’s hand in his as Naruko moved hers away.

“Aaaa...”

“Just once, we will have breakfast at your hotel but just the two of us, please. I want to ask you something about Chiyo,” Sora reasoned.

Naruko glanced at Sasuke, but the boy was looking at the nurses who were helping an old man cross the aisle.

“Ok I think.”

“Thank you, well I better move now.”

Sora quickly kissed Naruko on the head again and moved before the girl had time to react. Sasuke looked judgingly at the two but didn’t comment on it. Instead, he reminded her. “Well, let’s make a move. You don’t want to make Chiyo wait.”

“Right,” Naruko as if snapped from a trance began walking towards Chiyo’s room which was not far from the registration with her hands held together.

Sasuke clenched his hands in a ball but soon regained his stoic nature and followed Naruko.

Naruko and Chiyo reunited

and they were happy.

Sai’s face appeared besides her.

“Eeekkkk!”

“What the hell Sai?”

“Having a peaceful conversation finally? You two could combust a room looking at each other with so much passion.”

“Whatever Sai, I'm off to the toilet,” Naruko jumped out off the car and got into the toilet. She waved at Ino as the older girl entered the car from the opposite side.

She pondered what changed Sasuke’s mood since the visit with Chiyo, he can’t seriously be affected by Chiyo’s comment that he could be a good boyfriend for Naruko. Sure, Naruko admitted that he was very attractive and a boyfriend material, but his hot and cold treatment towards her was blowing her off. He had not spoken to her at all after they exited Chiyo’s room, and while they waited for Ino and Sai outside of Agro Park.

Sasuke had instead, right after parking and pulling the handbrake, got his handphone and began listening to music or something on his earphones. Naruko received the message loud and clear that he did not want to speak to her. Sighing, she tied her hair into a single ponytail and straighten her jacket.

When she got out, Sasuke was waiting for her outside the toilet. He silently escorted her back to the car while she ignored him, being really confused at his acts.

In fifteen minutes, between Ino’s excited chatter, Sai’s sometimes questioning glance at Naruko, and Sasuke’s too focused on the road driving, they finally arrive at the largest mall in Iwa, Stone Hill Park.

“Let’s move now, Kakashi’s been giving me texts to check the Camouflage Store on level 4 first of all. You know how he always wear his uniforms around.” Ino said as she dragged Sai towards the elevator.

Naruko waved at Ino and said boringly, “meet you at the food court in an hour?”

“Make that an hour and a half,” Sai said as he was pulled away.

“Hey,” Sasuke suddenly said reaching for Naruko’s elbow.

“Let’s go buy souvenirs, but I need to go to the toilet first.”

“Whatever, go. I'm not your slave,” Naruko answered while wrenching her arm away. “I'll wait over there.”

Naruko looked away as Sasuke looked at her, she did not want to see his expression towards her. He continued looking at her for a second longer before heading for the toilet’s direction.

Naruko then walked to the area that she had pointed to Sasuke and sat on the massage chair before inserting a few yen notes to get the massage chair working. She closed her eyes and began thinking why it hurt so much for a stranger to hurt her.

She relaxed and was soon fast asleep on the massage chair.