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Sanctuary	By : AkashaEmily Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 1111 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 3
- 4
- 5
Disclaimer: They�re not mine, don�t sue me.

Sanctuary:
Chapter 4

This
dream was different from his other ones.
He dreamed
of darkness, a warm, welcoming, all-consuming blackness that held him and
rocked him gently as he floated in it. He felt so light � so carefree- and he
liked it. He liked it in the darkness where he didn�t have to think about his
life, of how worthless and awful he was. He was alone and that was okay because
he was used to it, had had to become reacquainted with the feelings of
abandonment after everyone other than Kyuubi had thrown him away.
Not
that he blamed them, really he didn�t.
He
floated in the dark and wondered if this was what death was like. It wasn�t so
bad if it was; he didn�t understand why everyone fought so terribly hard
against it. He surrendered to it, pulled the thick blackness around him and let
it drag him deeper, further away from everything that had been troubling him.
No
more being the demon child.
No
more being hated for something that wasn�t his fault.
No
more being Naruto Uzumaki.
Gods
it felt so good- so good!- to just
not be, to not exist, that he fought tooth and nail against the voices that
tried to suddenly drag him back. He tried to block them out, tried to force
away the energy being shoved into him, reminding him that he had a body.
Abruptly, he heard a heartbeat, the sound incredibly loud after the silence
that had enveloped him. He held onto the darkness, ignoring the pulsing ebbing
and flowing through the substance, attempting to cling to it even as it began
slipping through his fingers.
The
landscape began brightening around him, the effect becoming more pronounced as
he felt himself being drawn upward, as if he were surfacing from some
unfathomable depth. Panicking, Naruto kicked and struggled, trying to resist
with everything as he was dragged back into his body.
His
aching, weak disgusting body.

Under
normal circumstances, Naruto wasn�t much of a morning person; after everything
that had happened, including another close brush with death, coherent thought
was a very distant dream. At first all he saw was off-white, the color seeming
faintly strange to him in a remote, abstract sort of way. Part of him thought
that the unfamiliar ceiling should be white, the purer color somehow seeming
more appropriate though he couldn�t fathom why.
Tired
blue eyes blinked vacantly up at the cracked and badly painted ceiling, as the
blonde�s sluggish mind attempted to process his surroundings. This was not his
apartment. This was not a hospital room either because Tsunade would never have
allowed such a piss-poor construction job. Where was he and who had brought him
here? The thought passed through his mind apathetically since he couldn�t
really bring himself to care in his current hazy state though he doubted
whether or not that would have changed if he had been in a more rational frame
of mind.
A
sound reached his ears and, after several minutes of listening to it he
recognized it as snoring. Since he was awake, Naruto by default was not the one
making the sound and fear tried to rear its ugly head for a second, spurting
through his veins like acid. The sensation made him twitch, made his heart burn
and lurch in his chest as he turned his head to the right toward the sound,
breath hitching painfully until the sight of blue skin met his eyes.
Sleeping
next to him was none other than Kisame Hoshigaki, missing ninja and member of
Akatsuki. Slumped slightly forward, the former Mist ninja�s upper body lay
propped against the meager headboard of the narrow bed and the blonde winced at
the highly uncomfortable position. It was obvious that the taller man�s frame
was working against him but, if the near sunken look to the skin around
Kisame�s eyes was any indication, he hadn�t had the chance to pick a more
comfortable position before merely passing out. One of the larger male�s legs
had fallen off the mattress at some point during the night but, from the looks
of it, the Akatsuki member would not wake up even if the rest of his body
followed the appendage to the floor.
Adding to the weirdness of the situation,
Naruto�s heart calmed at the sight of the older ninja, reacting as if the other�s
presence was reassuring somehow.
If
Kisame was here then his partner had to be around as well and right then the
blonde became acutely aware of a heavy unfamiliar weight sprawled across his
lower body. Of their own accord, his eyes drifted downward, his neck craning
automatically to accommodate a better view of the brunette head resting so
innocently on Naruto�s bare abs. Itachi�s long unbound hair had spread out to
puddle in uneven pools on either side of the blonde�s waist, making the already
pale Uchiha�s skin seem nearly ashen in hue. Warm, deep breaths sighed out over
the sensitive skin near the blonde�s bellybutton, the sensation causing Naruto
to shiver as goose flesh broke out and faded in synchronous rhythm with
Itachi�s breathing.
It
was then that the Kyuubi vessel found out that he was only a breath away from
being naked but, oddly enough, this didn�t really bother him either though he
was bothered by the fact that he wasn�t bothered by it.
If
that made any sense.
Frowning
slightly, Naruto lay back down and returned to staring at the ceiling as the
mental fog clouding his mind began to clear. He wasn�t sure he really wanted
that to happen, not fully anyway, because then he would have to think, to feel,
and Naruto did not want that to happen- didn�t want it at all. He closed his eyes and concentrated on not thinking about
anything in particular, pretending that he was still floating somewhere far
away in the dark.
He probably would have spent his whole day in
this manner if the smell of spoiled food hadn�t become progressively worse as
the sun traversed the sky and it became closer to noon. The heat of the day
increased, making the room warm and the already awful smell damn near horrific.
Naruto
reached down and touched the tip of his fingers lightly against the dark crown
resting on his belly, stroking hesitantly at first then with more force as
Itachi continued to remain unresponsive. Letting his hand drift down to the
Uchiha�s shoulder, the blonde prodded the skin gently to begin with then added
more force. Though the muscles beneath his touched tensed feebly against the
pressure, they quickly went lax again after several seconds. Naruto nudged him
a second time but Itachi didn�t stir again no matter how much pressure the
blonde applied.
Turning
his attention back to Kisame, Naruto poked the blue skinned shoulder closest to
him hard and received a grunt in response but nothing else- the larger male
made no other acknowledgement of his presence.
Neither
of them would be going anywhere anytime soon, not under their own power at any
rate- the blonde was quite familiar with chakra exhaustion symptoms and the
pair had all of them.
Since
no one else was going to deal with the problem, Naruto would have to handle it
himself if he wanted the smell to go away. Pinned or no, his sensitive nose
told him in explicit terms that he had to make that happen before the room got
any hotter. Raising himself up halfway, the Kyuubi vessel spread his legs so
that Itachi dropped more solidly against his lower body and pressed a splayed
hand against the brunette�s upper back before abruptly turning over.
He
did it in a movement too fast for a normal human- or even a trained shinobi- to
accomplish, a lightning quick movement that was over and done with in little
more than a split second. One minute Itachi was sprawled atop him and the next
the elder male was being gently lowered to the bed by Naruto�s hand, the
appendage sliding out from under the brunette seconds later. Now free, the
blonde crawled backwards carefully off the bed, wincing a bit once his feet
touched the floor and his ankles took his weight.
They
hurt still but it was a dull pain- nothing he couldn�t manage.
He�d
felt considerably worse, after all.
From
his position at the foot of the bed, Naruto looked down at the bed�s occupants.
His gaze lingered over the smaller of the two, admiring the pale skinned face
surrounded by all that dark hair and found himself wishing that it was another,
similar, pale face surrounded by shorter, similar, dark hair.
A familiar awful ache wrapped around his heart and squeezed ruthlessly.
�Why didn�t you
just let me die? Why did you save me when there�s nothing worth saving
anymore?! I was gone, I was happy! Why, damn it, WHY?!� He realized that he
was screaming the questions aloud at the pair and sank to his knees, burying
his face in his hands as he hunched over, uncaring when he fell onto his side.
He curled up on the floor and sobbed into his knees. �Why, damn you, why?�
It had been so peaceful in the dark, so very quiet and
everything Naruto had wanted.
He cried and, instinctively, tried to crawl under the bed
to hide but the space was too small for him to fit. Frustrated, unable to do
anything else, he wrapped his arms around himself and rocked trying to find
some comfort as his body shook from sobs and pain.
The pain was back and there was no refuge to take- not
for things like Naruto.
There was no such thing as a sanctuary for monsters.

He
wasn�t sure how he managed to find the strength but he did eventually pull
himself up off the floor. He wasn�t sure how long he had been there but the
bright sunlight coming in through the room�s dingy side window was slanting in
a way that suggested it was currently afternoon. With a small groan, Naruto
used the edge of the bed to pull himself to his feet, trying hard to ignore the
sharp stabs of pain that raced through his frame from navel to neck. He hurt so
badly but he forced himself to ignore it and move over to the other bed in the
room to turn down the bed sheets before returning to the other bed and picking
up Itachi.
Naruto
did not let fanciful thoughts grip him this time as he transferred the Uchiha
from one bed to the other. He strangled his imagination as it tried to flicker
into life and did not let his hands linger when handling Itachi. He did not let
himself think of that person in any
way as he pushed the dark hair back away from the pale, exhausted face. Naruto
simply laid the other male down, pulled off Itachi�s sandals and cloak and tucked
the Uchiha in, putting the removed items neatly beside the bed.
When
he was done with the brunette, the blonde turned around and did the same to
Kisame, having to take the ex-Mist ninja�s fallen leg and use it to first pull
the blue skinned male down a few inches before turning him onto his stomach.
Satisfied that Kisame was in a more conducive position for sleeping, Naruto
removed the other�s shoes then pulled the blankets up around the Akatsuki
member�s shoulders.
It
was all a bit hazy but these two, as strange as it might be, had been taking
care of him. Back in Konoha, Itachi had offered comfort. Yesterday Kisame had
taken Naruto out for food, had carried him when he couldn�t walk. Neither of
them had hurt him though they had had ample opportunity to do so. They hadn�t
yelled at him. They hadn�t beaten him. They hadn�t... done other things... to him. They�d been nice and caring and, even if it was only a ploy to gain his
trust for the sole purpose of making him an agreeable captive until they could
extract the Kyuubi, it was still a pleasant change from the usual pace of Naruto's life.
Actually, this arrangement could be mutually beneficial to everyone involved-
the Akatsuki would have the Kyuubi and Naruto would be free. All he had to do
was just not resist and that was so easy it was laughable. After all, where
would he go? Konoha, back to the very people who despised him so? Back to his
�precious people� who wanted nothing to do with him?
His
precious people, his family, and they had just thrown him away like trash, like... some unwanted pest...
His
lower lip trembled and he pointedly stared at the floor trying to make the
tears go away. He failed and, miserably, he wiped at the moisture leaking from
his eyes with the heel of his hands. The emotional wounds were too deep, still
too raw, to really be contemplated in any way without a crying fit but Naruto
still felt as if he had failed some major test.
Ninjas
don�t get emotional, they don�t cry.
He
really was worthless.

Feeling
utterly defeated, the blonde retreated into the bathroom to wash his face and
prepare for his outing, already compiling a mental list of the supplies they
may need on their trip to Akatsuki�s headquarters. He still intended to get rid
of the spoiling food but why stop there? Why not go get the things he needed
while he was already out? It seemed wrong to keep mooching off his companions
after everything that had happened and, since Kisame and Itachi would need at
least a day to recover anyway, this was the perfect opportunity for Naruto to
get everything set up for their journey while they were out of commission.
Feeling suddenly motivated, he
dressed and applied sufficient make-up to hide both the fox�s marks gracing his
cheeks and the tell-tale signs that he had been crying. He smoothed his hair
with water and placed the barrettes as Kisame had done last time. Finding the small
shopping bag he had gotten from the jewelry vendor, Naruto fished out and put
on a pair of red earrings and the matching black choker necklace. As a
precaution, he wrapped his ankles in fresh bandages taken from a medical kit he
found in the bathroom before padding back out into the room to pull on his
slippered footwear.
In order to purchase supplies, he was going to need money
to shop with. Nodding to himself over this sound justification, Naruto searched
Kisame for his wallet and took half of the cash he found in it, replacing the
purloined object and tucking the stolen bills away in a fold in his obi. If all went
well, he would be able to repay it in only a few hours when he returned to the
inn with everything they�d need.
His eyes fell on Samehada, Kisame�s sentient sword, on the
other side of the room. Naruto had never seen the former Mist ninja without it
and having so much distance between them seemed strange, wrong somehow. The blonde
frowned and walked over to the sword, about to test how intelligent it really
was.
�Hello, Samehada.� Naruto said politely, stopping well
back and bowing respectfully. �I have to go out to go get a few things for your
owner and Itachi while they�re asleep. I�ll be back in a few hours but I don�t
want to leave them defenseless.� He paused and looked for any sign that the
sword was listening. Finding none, he licked his lips nervously and continued.
�I want to move you closer to Kisame. If he wakes, I�m sure that he�ll be
looking for you. I think he�ll feel better if you�re close by- I know I would
if I had a sword like you. I�m just going to move you. Just move you, not wield
you. If I try to hurt Kisame or Itachi, you can kill me, okay?�
Warily, he stepped forward, one hand extended to grasp the
hilt, unsure of what would happen if Samehada decided to retaliate but betting
it would be very messy. The sword had chosen Kisame to wield it and Naruto bet
that it would grievously maim anyone else who attempted to use it at the very
least. Samehada just seemed like that kind of sword, devoted and loyal to the
one person who it willingly submitted to.
�Just like me but
the person I had chosen, my would-be �owner,� didn�t want what I had to offer.�
He thought sadly, the ache in his chest becoming more pronounced. The hand
outstretched toward Samehada abruptly spasmed and dropped back to his side.
He
didn�t blame Sasuke, really he didn�t. If their positions had been reversed,
Naruto would have done the same thing and chosen Sakura. Guys had babies with
girls, not with other guys. Anything else was disgusting, truly a perversion of
nature. The very idea was monstrous.
Just
like Naruto.
�Boys don�t love other boys,� Sakura�s voice reminded him happily as it rang
through his head. �God punishes people
like that. It�s a sin.�
If
she was right, then he was damned because he loved Sasuke, had loved the other
for a long time. After the Uchiha left, Naruto�s world fell apart piece by
piece and the only thing that had kept the blonde going for the year until
Sasuke�s return was the conviction to become stronger in order to save the
brunette. Naruto had mistakenly convinced himself that he needed to get
stronger in order to rescue his teammate from the snake�s clutches, that Sasuke
wouldn�t be able to do it alone. At some point, Naruto had become arrogant, had
become egotistical in his thinking that he was the only one strong enough to do
the job, that somehow if he wasn�t directly involved in the mission that it
wouldn�t be successful. He had embarked on his training with Jiraiya in order
to obtain his goal- they had time on their side since Orochimaru would be in
his current body for three years. Naruto would get stronger, would become the
strongest shinobi, and would drag Sasuke home kicking and screaming whether the
brunette liked it or not.
Sure
being hauled back may temporarily derail Sasuke�s vengeance but it wasn�t like
the Uchiha would be facing anything too major as punishment for his desertion-
he was the last Uchiha in the village and Konoha wanted that particular
keki-genkai working for the village almost as much as the snake bastard wanted
it for Sound. There was no chance that the death penalty, the traditional
punishment for any type of desertion, would be an option when sentencing
Sasuke. Once he had paid his dues to society, the brunette would have amply
opportunity to go hunt down his brother.
Naruto
would get stronger then rescue Sasuke- that was the plan. Simple, well-rounded,
and tidy. Afterward, when everyone was home safe, everything could go back to
how it had been before and, even if it didn�t, Sasuke would still be home in
one piece, snake free.
But
things didn�t work out that way. After training with the toad hermit for almost
a year, Naruto had been sent packing, forced to return home in shame. Jiraiya
had said it was pointless to teach him anything, had said that he was a
pathetic excuse for a shinobi. The Sage had poured verbal poison in his ears until the
blonde had finally broken down and cried then had used Naruto�s moment of
weakness as justification for renouncing him as a student.
Naruto
was weak and Sannin did not teach weak students. Jiraiya wouldn�t even fix the
alteration he had made to the Kyuubi�s seal before the blonde left, had
thoroughly trounced the teenager for even making the meager request.
The
fox vessel had returned to the village and, unable to find another teacher, had
been forced to study and practice alone for the remaining two years, ignoring
the relentless hatred directed his way. Nothing would deter him from his goal:
Naruto would bring Sasuke home, even if it killed him.
All
that effort was made moot though when, one day out of the blue a year before the time limit was up, Sasuke strolled through the village gates as if he�d never been gone. The Uchiha had returned
on his own- Naruto hadn�t been needed in any way, shape or form after all.
He
had thought that things would return to how they were before once Sasuke was
back but they hadn�t and while his friend was under house arrest Naruto was left alone to just� exist. He had asked about Sasuke obviously on the rare evenings he ran into Sakura, which were few since she was always so busy both with her training and running errands for the Uchiha and Naruto disliked going out during the day, but his pink haired teammate had said that Sasuke hadn't wanted to see him. Naturally, Naruto had been crestfallen over being rejected but even that had been okay since the Uchiha was back safe in Konoha, was his normal stoic, grumpy self from Sakura's accounts. The knowledge that Sasuke was alright had helped the blonde make it through that long, empty year of existing and eventually Naruto had became aware of a new reason to continue, a new reason to go on that was somehow so much simpler and yet so much more terrifying than charging into
Sound alone.
Part
of him had always known that Sasuke would ultimately be the person he fell for.
Even years later, he still didn�t understand it. Love was never rational, it
couldn�t be reasoned with or logistically defined. It was both wonderful and
cruel. Euphoric and also heartbreaking. It could make you strong but it could
also make you weak. Love was love and it played by its own rules. Naruto had
always lived his life guided by his instincts and, until that point, they had
never failed him. He trusted them and they screamed that Sasuke was the one for
him, that the other male would accept him, would love him, that they would be
happy together and pave the way for a better future for all. Trusting those instincts, he'd embraced them with every fiber of his being and had determinedly written a note to Sasuke asking the other to meet him later the next day.
But
Naruto had be wrong, so very, very wrong and now he didn�t have any purpose
again, had no more reasons to continue. He�d been stupid, he saw that
now and could readily admit it if only to himself. Sakura and Sasuke made a
good couple and the kunoichi would make a good mom, the blonde was sure. A
better mother than he would have been. He still didn�t know
what he had been thinking while entertaining this little fantasy- Konoha�s
treatment of him was getting worse and each day brought some new
cruelty. How could he even think of subjecting children to an environment like
that? He couldn�t have a family, couldn't bear the Uchiha�s newest generation... He wasn�t�worthy� he wasn�t good enough�
He
was a monster.
Blinded
by more tears- it seemed like he was always crying lately, always hurting,
always hating himself and always, ALWAYS
crying like some pathetic weakling- he reached out and grasped Samehada�s handle.
Half
of him wished silently that the sword had slaughtered him while the other half
was just too damn exhausted emotionally to care about anything- it just wanted
to find some place to lay down and sleep until he died. His hand wrapped around
the handle and, though the sword wriggled in its bandages and made noises that
suspiciously sounded like small shutters softly clattering together, Samehada
did not hurt Naruto. True to his word, the blonde carefully lifted the weapon
with both hands and brought it over to Kisame�s bed, leaning Samehada gently
against the wall within easy reach of the former Mist ninja.
�I
think I envy you, Samehada.� Naruto said softly, his gaze drifting from the
sword to its wielder.
�A man giving birth?� And he could
see the Uchiha in his mind as the other spoke, the pale nose wrinkling over the
possibility that Sakura had suggested seconds before. �It�s a disturbing thought.�
Naruto
swiped at his eyes angrily again, sniffling quietly as he bowed again to the
sword and turned away. It would all stop soon, all the pain he carried would go
away and he wouldn�t have to remember what a failure he had been or how
unnecessary he was or how worthless he was. He�d just�poof out of existence and
no one�. No one would notice or care� The
world would keep turning, would just continue to march on without him.
It
hadn�t stopped a month ago when the last thing he�d been living for was taken
away so why would it change now?
He
went back into the bathroom and stared at his reflection,dejectedly taking in the sight
of his ruined make-up, of his puffy eyes now red for a second time from his
recent moment of emotional instability. He could be a girl for a little while,
he could pretend and play the role until his final journey was over. Disguising
himself in such a way would make traveling easier for them; if Konoha was
looking for him since he was now a missing ninja, they would be looking for a
lone blonde male not a blond girl with two attendants. If he pretended to be a
lady of high status then the trio would be less suspicious since any lady of
substantial means never traveled anywhere without some sort of body guard, a
role that Kisame at least looked the part for perfectly.
Naruto
ran his fingers gingerly over his jaw, tracing the strong outline as he turned
his head from side to side. He stared critically at his nose, at his
cheekbones, at his eyes- over emotional personality aside, his features were
too male to pass as strictly female upon a close up inspection and he suspected
heavily that the only reason the ruse worked yesterday was because he was too
high up to be seen accurately.
Being
the living vessel for a demon as powerful as the nine tailed fox did have some
advantages, the ability to bear children only one among the many Naruto had
planned to use to help Sasuke restart his clan. But that had been before he�d
been rejected, before Sasuke had confirmed what Sakura had been hinting at.
Sasuke
thought he was disgusting.
The
blonde watched his lower lip tremble in the mirror as the thought brought a
fresh wave of emotional torment and his gaze glanced up to see if the tears he
clearly felt had begun to fall, ultimately having to look away from the raw
pain he could see in the eyes reflected back at him.
Gods,
how had he managed to do this day after day before? How had he been able to
smile through the pain, to lie so completely with his body?
He
wet a washcloth with cold water, wrung it out and pressed it to his eyes just
as the tears started to fall, forcing himself to take deep, even breaths. He stayed
that way for a long time, just breathing and listening to his body until he
calmed down.
He
could do this.
Of
course you can. Came the
immediate internal rumble as Kyuubi woke and added its two cents worth. You
can do anything you want now that you are away from that place.
Naruto
felt the words wash over him but ignored the comfort and reassurance they
offered as his unintentional response reached the fox. I want to die.
Kyuubi
shifted position and didn�t speak but the silence emanating from its cage said
volumes.
Naruto,
feeling more determined, set the washcloth down and dried his face with a
towel. He readied the make up for later use and set it aside, his hands moving
to cup his jaw, thumbs rubbing over the sharper edges of the bone, smoothing them
out and softening them into something more feminine. The flesh moved like thick
warm clay beneath his fingers, taking the form he wanted and holding it once he
finished. When he was satisfied with his new jaw line, he moved onto adjusting
the slope of his nose, making it less sharp and smaller in size. From there he
played with his cheekbones, pushing them inward and up but only a little since
they were already near perfect for what he had in mind. After making sure
everything was aligned correctly, his hands headed for his eyes, Naruto fully
intending to change the color.
Don�t. And this time the voice wasn�t comforting or
reassuring. It was loud, a command, and Naruto could see the fox rising to all
four feet and glaring at him from inside its prison. Don�t.
Why? He was
genuinely curious since his eyes had always been just another feature that
helped set him aside from everyone else in Konoha. No one else had eyes as blue
as his and he had felt that absence like a physical blow.
They�re
your best feature. The fox said
simply, its massive shoulders rolling upward briefly in what Naruto assumed was
a shrug.
It
sounded like a stupid reason but the blonde let it go and only played with the
surrounding socket, adding a small up-tilt to the furthest corners. He tugged
at his hair, lengthening judicious pieces around his face for further
camouflage, adding bangs to hide the majority of his forehead and soften his
face�s over all appearance.
Naruto
looked over his new face critically. There, now no one would think he was male,
not when his face practically screaming woman. After another once over, he used the make-up to add a
healthy glow to his dull skin and to emphasize and enhance his new features. A
little lipstick, some blush, some eyeliner and presto! He was almost good to go.
He
practiced smiling in the mirror but soon stopped because every attempt looked
abysmal. Turning his attention back to his clothing, he fussed with the outfit
nervously before finally calling it quits and instead began experimenting with
new placements for his hair barrettes while trying out several voices. After
using his Kyuubi- born abilities to make his voice higher and his hands smaller
and more ladylike, Naruto straightened his choker a final time, checked his
earrings to make sure they were in and even, and gave himself a last once over
before leaving the bathroom.
Naruto
could do this- if he could carry a baby to term and still have a penis then he
could surely pull off the act of pretending to be a girl for a few hours.
Squaring
his shoulders as he walked, Naruto grabbed the stinking bag full of rotten food
off the room�s small table and headed for the doorway. After saying goodbye to
Samehada he booby trapped the room as well as the door itself,
and left the room. He shut the door quietly behind him and went in search of a
trashcan.

It
was early afternoon and the market was packed with people but the crowd made a
path for the blonde as he walked through the area. It had unnerved him at first
because it had been entirely too reminiscent of his life in Konoha where people
had flattened themselves against walls to keep distance between themselves and
Naruto. It was a pleasant surprise to realize that these people weren�t doing
that, that they were bowing and wishing him good day as he walked on. He couldn�t
keep his blush away but he did manage to remember the role he was playing and
nodded as regally as he could muster and smiled in response to the well
wishing, returning it stiffly.
The
vendors greeted him warmly but he did not stop to buy, instead saying that he
would be back later after he had finished with a quick errand. Some though
would not let him leave so easily and snared him with small talk, hoping to entice
him to buy something at their stall before any other. He had to force himself
to keep a pleasant face as he stood there and exchanged pleasantries with the
store owner- though he technically had every right to be in the store, he had
to force himself to remain relaxed because he kept expecting the shop owners to
begin shouting at his presence or throw things at him to make him leave.
It
was a very surreal experience for him, for Naruto Uzumaki, and the blonde again
reminded himself that, at least for now, he was someone else. Today he was
someone of status, a Lady, and,
though shopping was a new experience to his new persona it was not something to
become anxious over. �Enjoy the
attention, bask in it and do not question your right to it.�
Easier
said than done when you�ve never experienced anything of the sort before.
He
searched the market until he found what he was looking for, the little stall
shoe-horned in between two larger ones. The old lady sitting behind the counter
saw him looking over her display of scratch cards and beckoned him over
happily, her face nearly splitting in two from her smile as Naruto headed over
purposefully.
�Good
afternoon, my Lady!� The older woman said, her toothless grin widening as she
watched the blonde look over the selection. �Care to try your luck at a game of
chance?�
�Hello
Grandmother.� Naruto said politely, fishing out some money and placing it on
the narrow counter between them. He looked over the array of scratch cards,
waiting until Kyuubi rumbled answers to him about the ones he should purchase.
After telling the woman which cards he wanted and paying her for them, he
stepped to one side out of the way of other patrons' to begin following the
printed instructions.

With
a very full wallet now bankrolling
him, Naruto went shopping, making good on his word and returning to the shops
that he had passed by earlier. He bought something from each, even if it was
small, and complimented the shop owner on his wares, asking questions about the
items he was curious about. For the past few years, his movements had been
restricted to the village only, a place that made no attempt to hide it�s
hatred of him. It was hard sometimes to remember that the world was larger than
Konoha, that beyond the small walled city a much larger and open minded place
existed.
Naruto
felt something inside him loosen, his body flushing pleasantly as an unknown
relief trickled through him. He let out a shuddering breath, not understanding
the reaction and not trying to. The world was vast, more vast than he could
ever imagine, and this realization eased a tightness in his chest that the blonde
hadn�t even known was there until it was gone.
Feeling
incredibly lighthearted, he allowed himself to get caught up in his task, to
enjoy the simple act of shopping. He browsed and asked questions, making small
observations to the store owners about better ways to display certain objects
and store security- simple things that somehow made him seem insightful and
wise to those around him. Naruto constantly reminded himself to remain in
character while he conversed with both store personnel and other customers; he
was a noble lady and usually such ladies did not know much about how to select
vegetables or similar things. Maybe it was because of the image he presented or
maybe it was simply due to the slow emergence of his former warm friendly personality,
but, either way, people fawned over him, welcoming him in a way that he had
only glimpsed on his brief travels with the Toad Sage. He relaxed, let himself
have fun, and this laid back attitude seemed to transmit to those he came in
contact with be they merchant or shopper.
He
made his way slowly through the market, purchasing the items he wanted,
exploring, stopping at every shop he passed simply to see what was inside and
to say good afternoon to the store owner. Some merchants owned multiple shops, moving
between them throughout the day, and when they saw Naruto, recognizing him,
they kicked up a fuss over the teenager, something that well and truly puzzled
the blonde since he had no reference to go by in his life. People did not get
excited when he arrived- not in a good way at any rate- so he didn�t understand
why so much attention was being paid to him.
Whatever reputation he had acquired spread
after that and everywhere he went he was fawned over and thanked, was treated
with respect and given free samples of merchandise.
It
was beginning to put him on edge.
There
was no where he could go without getting waited on hand and foot, shop staff
nearly fighting each other for the privilege to dote on him as he continued to shop
for his supplies. When the shopping bags became too numerous to hold, he
purchased a backpack, deciding to splurge and get the best one since, even if
he wasn�t going to own it for very long, someone in the Akatsuki may need one.
A considerate captive, that was Naruto, but as he went to pay for the item he
wound up getting into a fight with the cashier over the price.
They
weren�t haggling. No; the cashier insisted that the bag was on the house and
Naruto kept trying to pay him for it anyway. The argument continued for several
minutes, becoming more of a spectacle when the owner rushed out to help smooth
everything over. In the end, they compromised and Naruto paid half the asking
price and promised to recommend the shop- Wakamine�s Gear and Goods- to other
people. This made the blonde feel a bit guilty since the man obviously thought
that he knew influential people and Naruto simply didn�t.
Naruto
really would have just rather paid full price for the pack. He didn�t have any friends or family anymore but he promised the man anyway- if the bag was as well made as it looked, and as tough, he would tell Itachi and
Kisame where he bought it and maybe they would tell others.
Acutely
aware of his attentive audience, he packed the bag carefully, having to intentionally
do it wrong- he was posing as a lady of status and what did such women know
about backing a traveling bag efficiently? With a bow of gratitude to the store
owner and the cashier, Naruto left to get the last remaining items on his
shopping list, running into an elderly couple who struck up a conversation with
him about what nice weather they were having.
It was a very surreal experience for Naruto
Uzumaki, indeed.
- 3
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