Adult-FanFiction.org : Naruto

Beyond the River’s Edge	By : dolphina23 Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 902 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto" manga and anime, and I'm not earning any money writing this story.

Chapter List
- 1
- 2
- 3
Author’s Note:
Just a reminder that this story will contain both a male/male main pairing and
a male/female pairing. Also, because I am now working on two very detailed and
long novellas for Naruto fandom, updates may be a little more infrequent than
previously done before. Please, don’t lose hope. You will have more than enough
between the two to remain sated.

            Also, the
given name of the woman at the end is very important. I specifically researched
female names to find a particular translation of certain English words, and
chose the one I thought her most suited for.

            As with my
other story, all Japanese words are simply place or people names, the use of
the respective suffixes after names or occasionally for ‘father’ and/or
‘mother’. I detest merely sticking in Japanese words simply because the author
knows those few or wants to look ‘cool’ by doing so, which is the only reason,
save for a few gems, I can come up with to put it inside the bulk of the
fan-fiction found elsewhere. And now, to captivate you!

Chapter     1


            Naruto awoke to gray light
filtering through the curtains in his bedroom. Something had jerked him from
sleep suddenly. Perhaps he’d been dreaming. He lay still, listening to the low
rumble of thunder in the distance. The sound and the darkened room began to
slowly lull him back to sleep until an old feeling trickled in and tickled him awake again. He frowned, confused. The last time he’d felt
anything close to it, he had tried to talk Kakashi and his father into getting
married. Or, that’s what his Dad, Namikaze Minato, liked to tell him . . . all
the time. Naruto couldn’t resist the flush and the embarrassed mumbling every
time he brought it up. Kakashi, too, seemed to delight in making him miserable,
telling a story that Naruto barely remembered. It had been nearly five years
ago, after all. He’d only been seven years old and could hardly be faulted for
not wanting what family he had to go away. He wouldn’t even touch the subject
of his mother while talking to them, a person he knew nothing about except her
family name, something that he carried proudly despite the lack of knowledge.
His father seemed too sad for her not to have meant a great deal to him and
Naruto trusted that, so he was proud of her.
            Sighing, he
lurched out of bed and made his way to the kitchen to get some breakfast. It
was so nasty outside, he’d much rather crawl right back to bed. But, there were
semester finals to take and his father had always pushed for him to do his
best. With all that he’d done for him, Naruto could not deny that he should do
all he could to make his father happy, even if school was a waste of time and
taught him nothing he thought was necessary for an artist.
            He liked to
paint, draw, sketch in charcoal and even delved into media arts for about a
month until his Dad had come into his room one night to find the printer taken
apart. It didn’t have the right components to make the correct color
combinations and Naruto had decided to fix it. That had been when he was ten
years old. Naruto had since lost interest in media arts, but had kept up with
drawing and painting. He rented books on technique and style from the local
library and had signed up for a new art and design class starting next year.
He’d already completed introductory courses in drawing and painting his first
year of middle school. His teachers had praised his work as flawless and
insightful, far beyond anything they’d ever seen from someone his age. His
father never let him forget that, either, and that made him smile, every time.
Now twelve and in his second year at Kinshin Middle School, he still felt that
math and proper kanji spelling was not nearly as important as color theory or
the uses of different perspective while drawing.
            Opening the
fridge door in a daze, Naruto fished out the milk and bread that his father
insisted stayed fresher when refrigerated. He wanted eggs, really, but he
wasn’t allowed to use the top of the stove. His father was a little
overprotective in Naruto’s opinion, but he went along with it. He had to admit
that he was a little lacking in coordination, though he had never been one to
trip over his own feet, as his father also liked to relate to him. He failed to
mention that Naruto had been four at the time. Naruto had later prized it out
of Kakashi, and then went to town on Minato for winning ‘The Most Embarrassing
Father/Son Moments’ Award. He shrugged as he opened the carton and drank
straight from it. He could live with a little embarrassment if it meant he
could still see his Dad and Kakashi every day. He loved his father. Kakashi was
a surrogate, but not a replacement, and that was how they both enjoyed their
times together. Thinking about the grey-haired, lazy man with the scar running
through his right eyelid made Naruto remember why he was up at quarter to five on a Monday when he
didn’t have to start school until eight
thirty. A shuffle of sound from behind him made him nearly spurt
out a mouthful of milk all over the floor.
            “What do
think you’re doing, young man?”
            Naruto
shuddered silently and turned beseeching eyes toward his father, who happened
to be standing, arms folded, in the doorway connecting to the living room, and
through that, to his father’s study. Naruto didn’t have to guess that his
father had been working on the new article for the Denrei Chronicle, where he
worked as a history/arts researcher. Everyone at the magazine did. Naruto
backed up a few steps and grinned sheepishly, taking care to keep his hands at
his sides. He’d picked up a bad habit in elementary school of rubbing the back
if his neck when he was nervous or embarrassed and was trying to avoid giving
away his discomfort so easily.
            “Well?”
            “Uh,
putting the milk back?”
            Minato
tensed up and waited, frowning down at his son.
            “After I
already drank from it? Sorry, I’ll finish it off,” he continued lamely. There
was almost three quarter’s of the carton left. Naruto knew the combination of
too much dairy so early in the day and the exercise he was about to do would
make him sick. He felt cold shivers run up his spine just at the thought of
throwing up, he hated it so much. He’d gotten sick with a stomach virus once.
He’d spent the better part of a whole week between the bathroom and the bed,
unable to move without causing the nausea to bubble up from his stomach and
from the sheer exhaustion of emptying everything he’d ever eaten in his life
every hour or so. Naruto watched his father sigh and walk over to the
coffeemaker and start the drip.
            “That won’t
be necessary. I know you’ve been looking forward to this the past two weeks,
like you did every other week before that. Plus, you looked more than half
asleep and too cute, with your hair all ruffled like that, I can take pity on
you. But, only this once!”
            Naruto
rolled his eyes as his father shook a finger at him, and then, quick as he
always did, grabbed him in for a strong hug and a sloppy kiss on the forehead .
. . like he was five. Honestly, he’d heard horror stories from his friend Kiba,
at school, all about how his sister was nearly old enough to be his mom and how
she swore up and down she wouldn’t treat her kids the same as their parents
did, embarrassing them at every turn. Kiba also told him that she did the exact
same things whenever their mom left Hana, Kiba’s sister, in charge while she
traveled to one of the rural areas on a veterinarian emergency. Kakashi didn’t
do any of that stuff and Naruto was glad he was going there now. This way, he
didn’t have to suffer any more weird phrases coming from his father. Taking the
toast with him and stuffing the milk back in the fridge, Naruto sped off to his
room to change. It was only a ten minute drive to reach Kakashi’s place.
Konoha, the small city where he and his father lived, was not a big place after
all, but Naruto was far too excited at the morning’s promise to slow down.
There was a grand tradition of artists and writers in his town, though there
were a few major businesses from clothing lines to restaurant chains and even a
financing conglomerate owned by the Uchiha family, his friend Sasuke the
current favorite for taking up the mantle should he decide on business in the
future. A smattering of small businesses, including his friend Inuzuka Kiba’s
family veterinarian practice, rounded out the town’s economy nicely.
            Kakashi,
surprisingly one to live outside the norm, owned a horse farm just outside
Konoha’s city limits. Well, his father had started it as a racehorse training
facility and Kakashi had gone into practice as a psychiatrist until his death
ten years before, something that Naruto’s father never ceased to tease him
about, why, Naruto could not say. He had kept his practice and simply handed
most of the management and business decisions over to someone else. Naruto went
there every week for a lesson or just to take one of the stable horses out for
a hike. He’d already learned a lot about the animals and about respecting their
nature. That respect had gravitated to Naruto feeling more in tune with other
things nature-based and treating everyone he met with as much of the same level
he gave to those beloved creatures whenever he could. Having worked on an old pair of jeans, some
tan work boots and an old tee-shirt under a well worn sweater, Naruto raced out
to the car, chomping on his toast the whole way.
            “Dad, hurry
up! We’re going to be late and then Marimo might get worried!”
            Minato
strolled down the drive, yawning widely, and climbed into the driver’s seat. He
shook his head at the way Naruto jigged his fingers excitedly on the dashboard
and danced his feet on the floorboards impatiently. Naruto turned and caught
his father’s raised brow and stopped moving. He couldn’t help it, he was just
excited! It had been a whole two weeks, for God’s sake! Marimo was probably
stamping a hole in his floor at the lack of proper attention. Suddenly, Minato
grinned at his son and leaned back from sliding the key into the ignition,
delighting in the tiny wiggle it produced.
            “Now, I
never did ask, because he’s your horse, but, why Marimo? It’s a type of sea
urchin.” Minato couldn’t help but laugh at the puffed out cheeks and frown that
met him when he turned to look at Naruto.
            “Okay,
okay. Don’t get so worked up. I’m sorry for needling you. It’s just you’re so
cute when I do it, and you’re my son and I love you.”
            Naruto
didn’t answer so Minato tried again. Reaching across the gear shift he rubbed a
hand over the light scars on his cheek affectionately.
            “I love
you,” his voice rang out, almost turning the words to song.
            “Okay,
okay. I love you, too. And, I’m not mad.” At Minato again raising an
eyebrow, Naruto took a steadying breath and continued, “Well, I was mad, but I’m not now because I know
you were only doing what all other parents get to do to their kids because they
love them. So, can we go now?” He finished in a rush and grinned when his
father turned the key and they started off.

            Pulling up
after the long, dirt track that served as a drive, Minato stopped the car and
got out to follow Naruto into the main stable. Naruto was always just as
excited about his weekly ride as ever before. It was charming. Entering the
stable, Minato made his way to the office halfway down and knocked placidly
before going in. His old friend Kakashi was talking to the stable manager,
Hiko-san, so he waited until they were finished before clearing his throat.
            Kakashi
brightened up when he saw him, smiling evenly.
            “I was
wondering if you were going to make it this week. It’s late isn’t it?”
            “I had a
rough time with this deadline and Naruto had finals to study for. I didn’t want
anything to interfere with it because he’s been struggling with his Japanese
kanji lately,”
            Kakashi
waved a hand at him.
            “That’s not
an excuse. The boy shouldn’t suffer for bad penmanship. Besides, I seem to
remember a school boy who could never seem to remember every kanji symbol on
more than a few words until he went to college,” Kakashi scoffed.
            Minato
laughed good-naturedly and titled his head to gaze at Kakashi before turning to
leave.
            “I’ll be
back in a couple of hours. I have to drop off the finished script to the editor
or he’ll likely hand my job to someone else.”
            “Aw, poor
baby, as if the Award winning magazine writer couldn’t work anywhere he chose
to. Your editor knows that very well, which is why you only have to show up at
the office every now and then instead of every day.”
            Kakashi
raised an eyebrow at him and leaned comfortably on the desk behind him. It was
covered in invoices and paperwork, most of which would mean absolutely nothing
to him along with the stable had he continued to run it as his father had. But,
the look on Naruto’s face, so full of wonder and excitement when he’d first
watched the racehorses his father had kept and trained had been worth the time
and effort to convert the stable. Now, it was a training and lesson facility
for Western pleasure riders and Dressage elements. He had not branched out into
Jumping/Hunter class, simply because it was too much work to bring in the posts
and jumps necessary to give a full round of the experience to the students.
They all seemed to enjoy the trails and the lessons he did offer and he’d even
kept a dozen or so old hack horses for people to rent for an hour at a time
rather than take the expense of an entire month of lessons.
            A shout
from down the hall captured their attention and both Minato and Kakashi rushed
out, eyes widening.
            “Kakashi,
what have you done to my horse?”
            Naruto was
fuming, literally stamping his foot into the ground, his small fists curled up
and glued to his sides.
            “Nothing at
all, why?”
            “She’s
gotten fat! I don’t show up for two weeks and you let her gain weight. You know
she’s a glutton if you let her be. How could you?”
            Kakashi
looked at the glaring boy, all fury and hurt, in front of him and almost
laughed. Really, it wasn’t funny to Naruto, but Kakashi couldn’t help it. So
innocent and so naïve, he hadn’t realized that Marimo had been gaining weight
steadily for a while now.
            “Remember
when I told your father he should have her sterilized? That’s why.” He pointed
to the bulge at the mare’s sides. The gleaming coat of black tapering into
white at the forelocks and a white strip artfully covering the bridge of her
nose quivered at the touch of her human friend as Naruto stroked her. He seemed
confused, tilting his head one way and then the other before his mouth hung
open slightly.
            “You let
her get knocked up?!”
            Kakashi did
laugh then. The nature of children and their thinking was just too precious,
especially this one.
            “I did not let her get knocked up, thank you. She
did it all her own.”
            Now, Naruto
looked at his beloved equine friend as if he’d been scandalized.
            “Why didn’t
you say anything Kakashi?” Minato put in.
            The other
man shrugged. “I’m guessing it occurred around December. That’s when she
usually gets rowdy with the stallions I keep in the back pasture. We let her
and all the other boarder horses out there to graze every morning. You know
that, just like you also know that I warned you this might happen. They’re not
Puritans, you know.”
            Kakashi
stared hard at Minato who scoffed at the comparison but couldn’t avoid looking
guiltily at the floor. He had heard Kakashi say he’d needed to talk to him last
month but had been extremely busy with the latest article and helping prepare
Naruto for the exams. But Kakashi hadn’t pushed the issue so he’d let it go.
            “Sorry,
Naruto, he did try to get me to listen, but I really hadn’t expected something
like this would happen. Besides, you
told me all your horses were neutered,” he pointed an accusing finger at his
friend.
            “They are .
. . now. The vet couldn’t make it out
the week of the tenth and that’s when I let them out all together for an extra
dose of fresh air and to chew at the grass still left over from the fall,”
Kakashi held up a hand when he saw Naruto trying to interrupt, bouncing on his
feet to ward off the chill air, “and, yes, I gave her grain and, yes, she’ll be
fine. Horses have been doing this for centuries. The vet’s already seen to her
and she should foal sometime in mid November next year. We’ll be looking after
her as well as we always do, so don’t worry. You can ride Raikou today.”
            “That wasn’t
what I was going to ask,” Naruto mumbled grumpily. Honestly, adults thought
they always knew everything just because they’d been kids once. Minato glanced
at him when Naruto began to fidget again, looking from side to side, avoiding
his eyes.
            “Okay, what
were you going to ask?”
            Naruto
peeked up at him out of the corner of his eyes nervously.
            “What’s a
Puritan and what did Kakashi-ojii mean by rowdy?”
            Kakashi
laughed and clapped a hand on Minato’s shoulder as they turned to head back
down the hallway.
            “I’ll let
you handle this one, Dad.”
            A cry of
surprise from behind stopped them. Turning, they witnessed Naruto, eyes wide,
hair framed in the muted glow of one of the interior lights as he shook his
head in disbelief.
            “You . . .
you’re going to let me ride Raikou?”
            Kakashi
smiled at him while Minato frowned a little.
            “That horse
is a bit rough around the edges, isn’t he, Kakashi?”
            “Relax,
I’ve been doing this a while. I also helped my father deal with the worst
thoroughbreds in the history of Japanese horseracing, so if I say he can handle
Raikou, he can handle Raikou. But, you’ll be taking him in the pen only, no
trails,” he finished sternly.
            Naruto
nodded and followed to the other side of the barn to Raikou’s stall at the
front. He had one of the largest ones since he seemed to be irritated by all
the others. With the exception of Marimo and a few other mares, very few of the
other horses got along with him. Of course, Naruto being only twelve hadn’t
really grasped the implications of the situation. He also didn’t know that it
had been Raikou, the newest addition to the stable that had arrived un-neutered
and was the only likely candidate for Marimo’s current condition.
            Reaching up
to take down a bridle, Naruto unhooked the latch and drew the door open,
forgetting that he’d asked his father a potentially embarrassing question not
moments before. Sliding into the stall, dark eyes watched him move forward
calmly. The sleek muscles rippling under the horse’s skin were always so
beautiful. A dark chocolate coat, not a single hair of any other color except a
small white star on his forehead and a black mane and tail, made Raikou one of
the most enchanting things he’d ever seen, aside from Marimo of course.
Clucking his tongue at him, Naruto raised a hand to rub at Raikou’s forehead,
listening to him rumble in his throat softly. Fastening the bridle was not a
challenge as even the tougher horses know when to pull their head’s down given
a little pressure exerted just between the ears at the top of the head.
Finished with the reins, Naruto led the horse to the cross-ties in the middle
of the hall and secured the clasps to the metal rings at the sides of the bit
before going to grab brushes, blanket and saddle to finish currying him with.
            Seeing no
need for the curry comb, Naruto gently massaged the dirt from Raikou’s coat
with a stiff brush until it gleamed even more in the dull light and used a
finishing brush to sift any remaining debris out. Grabbing a hoof-pick and
brush from the bucket he’d taken from the tack-room, he went to work on the
dirt lodged inside the horse’s feet before placing the last hoof on the ground.
He had been taught very early on never to drop the foot carelessly as it could
spook them. Scaring a horse while it was in the crossties, secured to each wall
by eyehooks, was never a good thing, for the horse or the groomer. Draping a
blanket over Raikou’s back, Naruto lifted the saddle on top and lifted the
girth off, letting it fall slowly to the other side. Reaching under the
stomach, he again took the strip of leather in hand and ran it through the loop
that would secure it, tying it off expertly. He hadn’t even had to coax the
horse to let out a breath. Sometimes they held it in when they felt like going
back to sleep or for a run in the pasture instead of taking the boring humans
out with them on a trail or into a lesson arena. Naruto laughed softly as
Raikou nuzzled his ear and blew on him.
            Using his
left foot, he swung himself into the Wintec Wide All Purpose Saddle, frowning
at the feel. He couldn’t wait until he was old enough to work and afford his
own tack. Kakashi kept everything serviceable and in good condition despite
leaving almost everything to his stable manager, but Naruto really wanted to
try out dressage work with quality tack like the Bates Innova or the Passier GG
saddle with gusted panels. Clicking softly to Raikou, he walked calmly to the
gate of the practice ring and went on through as Kakashi opened it for him.
Starting at a walk then moving to a jog for a few minutes, he began to register
the feel of Raikou’s feet and muscles as he moved. He already could tell that
the famed devil of Hatake Stables was more bluster than true fight.
            Moving into
a smooth trot, extended trot and then a lope, Raikou tested him with a small
buck of his hind legs. Naruto pulled the reins in tight and stopped him. Moving
him forward again seamlessly, Raikou tried it once more and Naruto tightened
the reins a little, bringing him to a full stop again. When Raikou relaxed
finally, the movement beneath Naruto’s legs felt much smoother. The horse had
been aptly named. Lightning could be powerful and dangerous but could not
really fight you. An hour and a few dressage movements later, including a
flying change at a canter and a couple of figure eights and a lateral trot,
Naruto pulled Raikou in for a cool down walk. Reaching down to rub at his neck,
Naruto whispered in his ear.
            “That was
good, you know. You didn’t have to show off for them, though. You could really
get hurt if you act out like that.”
            A whistle
had Raikou’s ears pricking up and Naruto looked over at the gate. His father
waved him over and Kakashi smiled lazily up at him.
            “That was
very well done. You’re ready for some more advanced movements, I see.”
            Naruto
grinned easily down at him, still trying to catch his breath. Then, he frowned
and got down, looping the reins around his arm loosely, as he’d been taught.
            “Will
Marimo really be alright?”
            As if he
could sense that attention was no longer solely on him, Raikou blew out a huge
breath and nudged Naruto’s shoulder hard.
            “Hey!
That’s no way to behave! Stop that!”
            The horse
ghosted a breath in his ear playfully and nibbled a little at his hair, trying
to apologize. Naruto giggled.
            “She’ll be
fine, Naruto. Now, get out of here. Your father still has to take that article
in and you have school,” Kakashi told him.
            Do I really
have to go today?” Naruto whined.
            “Of course
you do, you have exams. They’ll be over today, and we can come back afterward
to visit Marimo if you like.”
            “Okay!”
Naruto tugged Raikou into the barn to take the tack off and put him in his
stall, the horse nudging at the bulge in his pocket, recognizing the scent of
the carrots there, no doubt.
            “You could
have gone, you know. I wasn’t stopping you,” Kakashi said easily.
            “I know,
but it was his first time with Raikou.”
            “And, you
were worried, right?”
            “Did you
not see him bucking?”
            “It was
only twice, and he didn’t get anywhere with it. Naruto knows what he’s doing.
Hell, that horse managed to throw me the first time I got up on him. He knew
from the beginning he wouldn’t be able to do that with your kid. He’s a natural
at this, despite his lack of coordination while walking,” Kakashi joked.
            Laughter in
his eyes, Minato chose to wait at the door to the barn rather than inside.
            “Yeah,
well, I’d like him home in one piece, thank you very much, or else I’d have to
seriously reconsider bringing him out here to see you.”
            “You
wouldn’t dare,” Kakashi challenged him confidently.
            “Naruto
loves his Ojiisan, don’t you?” he hummed at Naruto as he shot past him to the
car.
            “Sure,
gotta go, Kakashi! I’ll see you after class!”
            “I’m hurt!”
Kakashi feigned, holding a hand to his chest.
            Minato
rolled his eyes at him and chuckled as he got into the car for the short ride
to take Naruto to school. They’d spent too much time lagging in the stalls. He
wouldn’t have time to change for class. Minato would explain it to his
teachers, though Naruto would probably get a reprimand anyway. They were not
lax on the dress code at all at Kinshin. But, it was a good school filled with
understanding and empathic staff and the right curriculum for Naruto’s love of
art and writing. They spent extra time with him on his kanji and his math, two
of the subjects he had the most trouble with. The extra guidance boosted his
confidence in his other subjects as well, which helped him focus and achieve a
very high average despite all his grumbling.

            Minato
pulled up at the school gates with barely two minutes before the final bell
signaling the start of classes.
            “Enjoy your
exams!” he said brightly ignoring the scathing look Naruto threw him as he got
out of the car.
            “What, no
hug? I’m hurt!” Minato pouted.
            Sighing and
rolling his eyes, Naruto smiled and walked around to the driver’s side and leaned
in to peck his father on the cheek.
            “Go away
now! I’ll be late!”
            Waving
after his son, Minato pulled out into the circular drive back to the main road.
Naruto strolled in through the impressive two story doors flanked by fluted
columns that stretched at intervals down the entire, imposing length of the
school. The building was old, around two hundred years gone and reminiscent of
Roman architecture melded with Japanese style fountains and greenery. They
complimented each other, though, rather than offsetting the differences. He
still couldn’t fathom what they had planned when designing it, however. All
that wasted space and grand gesture for children who would do just as well in
an ordinary school structure. He supposed it was more for the parents, many of
which were quite well off if not all out rich. Kinshin’s Executive Board did
allow entrants from all circumstances to enter if they were able to meet
certain criteria, which Minato had told him was one of the major reasons he’d
decided on it. None of that had anything to do with Naruto, really, but he had
tried hard to listen to the introductory speeches and made it a point to strike
up conversations and friendships with everyone he could, regardless of who they
knew or where they came from.
            Glancing at
the Grandfather clock at the far wall of the Entrance Hall, Naruto streaked
down marble floors and headed up a grand staircase to his first class of the
day, Japanese Poetry. Taking his usual seat near the back he waved
enthusiastically at his friend Kiba who was, at the moment, trying to entertain
Naruto’s closest friend, Sasuke. Kiba, who had thankfully left his dog at home
rather than tying him up outside as he usually did, waved and winked roguishly
up at him. He’d tried to smuggle his dog, Akamaru, into school on a number of
occasions with the end result that he almost always had to take him back home
and spend the remainder of his afternoon with whatever teacher had caught him.
The last bell rang through the halls and their teacher walked casually through
the door and began passing out the exam papers without a word. Sasuke had
turned to wave at him and smile warmly before turning back to face the board
and Naruto instantly felt better about nearly being late and not wearing the
proper uniform of black jacket, grey slacks and red tie with the school crest
sewn above the left breast pocket. They had been told to wear a plain, red
handkerchief inside the pocket as well, but that part of the uniform had never
really been enforced. Sighing, Naruto hunched down in his seat a little as the
teacher neared his desk, knowing that showing up in jeans, an old tee-shirt and
a ratty sweater was far from the picture of solidarity and refinement that
Kinshin Middle School had expressed they present to the world.
            “Uzumaki
Naruto,” the teacher stopped directly in front or his desk, “I’ve been informed
of the reason behind your lack of proper attire; don’t let it happen again or
there will be swift and harsh penalty for it.”
            “Yes, sir,”
Naruto mumbled as he took the exam sheet from him. Glancing up at his two
friends out of the corner of his eye, he sent them a wink and a conspiratorial
smile. He knew that the teachers and the headmaster were strict but fair, so he
would watch himself in the future, but he couldn’t see any of them really
tightening the belt for such a minor infraction. As long as he didn’t have to
stay after school today, he’d have been fine with anything. The rest of class
passed uneventfully, and Naruto and about half the other students were leaning back
in their chairs, waiting for the end bell to ring. Finally, the teacher called
for time and they all passed their papers forward, the final tone came over the
loudspeaker and Naruto joined his two friends as they headed down toward Color
Theory. Sasuke and Naruto were in this class together while Kiba spilt off at
an adjoining hallway to make it just in time for his Biology class on the first
floor. They would meet up again for English, Japanese and second year Algebra,
and later, Sasuke and Naruto would head for Biology while Kiba rounded out his
academic day with Animal Husbandry. Physical Education was their last class of
the day and they joined the entire second year class at the fields behind the
school on warm days. Colder weather saw them all inside the Olympic sized
gymnasium for various activities. Naruto practically chafed for the end to the
school day, even with his problems concentrating during a normally sedate
schedule.
            “What’s
wrong with you today?” Sasuke asked, amused. Naruto looked over at him and
Sasuke merely raised an eyebrow and gave him a slight smile.
            “Huh? Me?
Nothing,” Naruto blurted out. Sasuke rolled his eyes.
            “Come on,
did your Dad give you a hard time about us talking on the phone all night when
he knew it wasn’t about Bio?”
            Sasuke
liked Minato. His unease whenever he was at Naruto’s house had nothing to do
with the man as much as the son; or rather his confusion over the aching he
felt whenever they were alone. Sasuke had a sinking feeling in the pit of his
stomach every time he thought about it ever since hearing his cousin, whom he
lived with, talk about a friend during high school that’d had the same problem.
He’d turned out to be gay.
            “No! It’s
Marimo.”
            “What?”
Sasuke looked over at his friend worriedly. They had stopped not far from the
classroom and Sasuke reached out a hand to clasp Naruto’s shoulder. He knew how
attached Naruto could get to things and people. The fact that he refused to
look up worried him more.
            “Is she
okay?”
            “Yes, well,
maybe. Kakashi says she will be, but then he’s the one that got her knocked up
in the first place, so . . .”
            Sasuke
couldn’t help it; he gaped, then opened his mouth and laughed full out. Naruto
looked at the floor again and mumbled something incomprehensible.
            “I’m sorry,
Naruto, but you are priceless!”
            At the
sound of his friend’s deepening voice rumbling out those words, Naruto felt
funny, very much like he did when he had to take a test he hadn’t prepared well
enough for. Shaking off the feeling and grinning at him, Naruto raced into the
classroom before they were late.
            Breathless,
both of them took their seats as their Art teacher bustled around the room
passing out yet another exam.
            Naruto
leaned over in his chair, brushing Sasuke on the shoulder and whispered, “So, you
want to go with me this evening? I’m going to spend some time with her and
maybe you and I can take a ride.”
            Sasuke
smiled warmly at him again and nodded. They both spent the remainder of the day
in eager anticipation of the promised outing and both waved at the other
happily as their parents came to greet them at the entranceway.
            “Long day?”
Minato asked as Naruto scooted into the backseat.
            “Not
really. Is it okay if Sasuke comes with us to Kakashi’s? He’s going to ask his
parents and call me later to let me know what they say. Can he?”
            “It’s fine
with me if it’s fine with them but I want to hear them tell me; you know the
rule.”
            “Yes, Dad,”
Naruto half joked. Rules were such cumbersome things at times, even if his Dad
did mean well by enforcing them. Charging up the front steps to their door,
Naruto stopped short, confused. There was a woman standing in front of it and
Naruto did not recognize her. She smiled warmly at him, and although many of
the adults he didn’t know that his father did seemed to do that, this time it
felt weird, wrong somehow. Naruto shook his head and smiled back. His father
had told him to always try and be civil to everyone even when they couldn’t
return it.
            “Hi! You
must be here for my Dad! He’s coming now!”
            Calling
over his shoulder, he walked up to the woman and reached out a hand for her to
shake, “Dad! There’s a strange lady here for you!” turning to her he added, “My
name’s Naruto, please to meet you!”
            The woman
opened her mouth to speak, looking desperately sad at the small boy in front of
her even through the smile, but closed it when she glimpsed Minato coming up
the walk. Minato stopped instantly and gasped, staring at her in surprised and
what was perhaps fear. Naruto didn’t like it but continued on into the house
figuring his father would explain later.
            “Sute, what
are you doing here?”
            The woman
recovered her composure enough to smile devilishly at him while she glided down
the front stoop at a fluid pace that reminded Minato of eels moving through
water. It nearly made him shiver and his heart beat faster, thoughts of his son
together in a house with her driving him nearly hysteric enough to send her
away right now.
            “Why,
Minato, aren’t you glad to see me? My old friend, it’s been too long,” she
reached up and glided her hand down his arm and pecked him on the cheek once as
Minato fought the urge to lash out. Talking with this woman would be difficult,
but for Naruto’s sake, he would keep it civil and hope her barbed tongue did
not get in the way. She’ll be gone soon and everything will be back to normal.
That’s all he could tell himself as they made their way inside.
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Beyond the River’s Edge