Adult-FanFiction.org : Naruto

Crimson and Clovers	By : TheSirens Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 998 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
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
- 6
- 7
- 8
Pheme: Hey guys, say hello to the new chapter. It�s been a long work in progress and then I got side-tracked by the other story and them some essay (go check out London Secrets!) ANNYWAY, back to the good news, in a week I will be on a plane to go down south, and not just south like to in the southern states, though it be hard since you can�t go any farther than Arizona and I live there. But I will be going passed the equator and on the sunny beaches of Argentina�all to visit family --, but I will be working on all my stories and I will be posting them. I already have the next few chapters outlined so I�m going to try and get ahead so you guys don�t have to wait as long. So this is a long note, so let�s go to the story!
�Blah� � Talking
�Blah�- Thinking
�Blah�- Kyuubi or Houkou talking
♪Sairen♪- scene change
♫ Flashback♫- the end or beginning of a flashback
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Chapter VII: Be Wary of Tripping Limbs
�So tell me again why, during a thunderstorm, when it�s raining cats and dogs, in what must be the middle of the night, we are moving to your fucking spooky house? And why I�m carrying the brat!?� Naruto�s bellows drowned out by another crack of thunder, the lighting illuminating the pathway leading to the Uchiha Manor. Naruto had nothing against the house he had never visited, but the eerie and isolated pathway, combined with the random spurts of light, slowly making him wish he had stayed at the hospital.
�Dobe it�s still the afternoon, Sakura said we were perfectly fine to go, and I�d rather not have Ren waking up in that room again.� Holding the umbrella above Ren and his head, Sasuke glanced at his daughter. When she wasn�t opening her mouth, and awake, she was the image of an angel. Her moon colored hair moving with the winds blowing past the trio, her face tranquil and happy. Yet the happiness she had been given would be brief, for Sasuke knew Orochimaru would soon come after him, as would Itachi once word leaked out about Ren and her demon.
�Teme ya mind covering me too? I�d rather not be sick while I have to watch your pale ass.� Naruto complained, his tone filled with fake anger. In truth, the control over the fear Naruto had fought since the beginning of the storm, were slowly slipping away. But there was no way in hell he planned on letting it slip in front of the bastard called Sasuke. Not now, not ever. Opening his mouth to make another complaint, ignoring the rumbling of the clouds, Naruto�s words never left his mouth as the umbrella shifted, covering the trio as much as it could.
The old friends walked in silence. Neither ready to open their mouths, any conversation starters stale and over used. �If this is what the next few months are going to be like, I�d rather stab myself with a kunai.� Naruto thought, sending a quick glimpse to his side seeing Sasuke starting at the road ahead, the ebony eyes blank.
With each passing second, the dirt road turned muddy. The empty houses decorated with Uchiha Crests littered both sides, making Naruto feel trapped. The blonde followed Sasuke as he made a turn down another lane. Naruto knew if Sasuke had been someone else, like Kiba, there would be people slowly coming out of the houses, looking mutilated and hungry for the all to hear the jinchuuriki screams of fear.
His thoughts filled with the ideas of rising corpses, Naruto slammed right into an immobile Sasuke. Looking past the stone Sasuke, a house larger than the others and separated from the miniature village stood surrounded by trees. Weeds licking the outside walls like fire to wood. The garden planted by Sasuke�s mother all those years ago, now a jungle overrun with weeds.
�Sounded scarier.� Naruto remarked, appreciating how the wilderness was taking over the house. He had never been sure if it was Kyuubi�s, or his personal taste, but Naruto loved spending as much time as he could outside. He even had gone as far as drowning the balcony of his shared apartment with foliage. Though his love for the plants came at a cost for Sakura, for it wasn�t unusual for the bugs living in Naruto�s personal garden to enter the apartment, scaring the shit out of the pink haired medic nin. Naruto and Sai constantly teased her about her fear, for it was ironic that Sakura, who had trained under the Slug Sannin, and could easily squash the tiny insects with her powerful fists, simply could not. Instead Sakura yowled for someone else to remove it, as she hung from the ceiling.
The rain pounding on the umbrella borrowed from the hospital, slowly turned into a light shower. Even the dark clouds started to dissipate, streams of pale sunlight breaking through, making Naruto half happy about the fact he no longer had to deal with his least favorite whether condition, but half pissed that Sasuke had been right about the amount of time that had passed.
Stepping outside of the protection of the umbrella and the frozen Uchiha, small droplets graced his body. Walking to the front door, Naruto continued his surveillance of the Uchiha manor. The perfection assumed to be a personality trait in all the Uchiha�s, not reflected in the untamed house.
�This is pretty.� Naruto�s arms automatically tightened on Ren�s legs as the girl squirmed around, trying to either get down or see a better view of what would be soon considered her home.
�Sasuke-tousan!� At the call of his name, Sasuke tore his ebony eyes away from the house he hadn�t lived since he had left maybe even before that. Sasuke could not remember when he given up keeping the garden weed free, the house clean from dust particles. This house was different than what he remembered, but he could guess the inside would still be the same. The shoes he never had the guts to toss would still be neatly placed at the entrance, slippers in the small cupboard next to the door. The elevated floor leading to all the rooms, laced with clothes he had thrown off the moment he had returned from training or a mission. The kitchen untouched since the death of his mother, the rooms upstairs caked with layers of dust all except his own. For a second Sasuke would have rather been in a cramped apartment than the house filled with past memories.
Demanding to be set down, Ren�s feet hardly touched the muddy ground before she rang to the front door of the Uchiha Manor. Whether Sasuke had left the door unlocked the night he�d gone or the door had simply rusted, at Ren�s first pull of the wooden door, it opened with a loud creak. Glancing back, iceberg eyes examined the two men who simply stood in the front yard, as if they were scared to wake up the demons stored in the house.
Filled with determination, Ren swept past the door, not caring about the removal of her temporary sandals, her small feet slapping the wooden floor sent years of dust into the air. Laughter exited out of her mouth at the appearance of more clouds of dust. The moment she headed for the staircase leading to the upper rooms, she disappeared from both shinobi�s eyes.
�I am not cleaning that house.� Were the first words that sprang into Naruto�s mind, but his mind was still so shocked about the filthiness of the house, the words slipped past his lips before he knew it.
�Smart kit.� Kyuubi purred, the sound more like laughter than an actual purr.
Ignoring the first comment Kyuubi had said in a while, he waited for Sasuke to react. Whether to his words or maybe to the house, either one would at least prove Sasuke was alive at the moment.
�Jumping him would also prove it.� Kyuubi stated, this time a barking laughter following his words. �I can see Houkou�s reaction. It would be priceless.�
If he could have, Naruto would have loved to have just slapped his forehead with his palm to get rid of the noise his houseguest was making.
�Just say yes kit.� Feeling, more than seeing the nine tail smile, Naruto felt confused before feeling a part of him retreat to the darkness.
�Yes?� Naruto repeated, unsure to what he was answering.
�Knew you would agree dobe.� At Sasuke�s voice Naruto pivoted, staring at the ebony haired nin, like a deer caught in the headlights.
�What?!� Moving past the gawking blonde, Sasuke entered his house, knowing that the house would not be empty anymore. Ren would fill the house with her energy, Naruto would fill the house with his loudness and Sasuke would just adapt, and maybe lock himself away in a room, before anyone decided to pay him a visit.
�Cleaning my house for me.� Sasuke simply stated, a small smirk gracing his face as he teased the jinchuuriki.
�Fuck no Teme! It�s your house, you clean it.� Naruto declared, crossing his arms across his chest in a sign of defiance, something he could tell Sasuke wasn�t buying.
�But won�t you be staying here as well Naruto?� The voice behind Naruto questioned, with a hint of glee.
�Yeah, but I ain�t cleaning it.� Realizing it hadn�t been Sasuke who had spoken, Naruto turned around, quickly recognizing the spiky snow white hair that he knew only two people had.
�What do you want Kakashi?� Naruto demanded testy, remembering when he had last seen Kakashi, the man had been bothering Iruka, and dragged his poor sensei away from their usual ramen nights. Not to mention because of said bastard he ended up paying for his own bill!
Pulling down the traditional orange clad book, one drowsy looking eye, eyed Naruto before moving past to see Sasuke standing inside his home.
�How does it feel to be back home Sasuke?� Kakashi asked, stepping around the blonde, who slowly grew angrier angry at the deliberate act of being ignored.
Before Sasuke could even answer his ex-sensei�s question, an additional voice called his name, making him turn around the see Ren running down the stairs, another dust storm developing in the after math. Noticing the appearance of the new man, Ren ran quickly to Sasuke�s side, her tanned hands gripping his shinobi�s pants with an obdurate amount of strength that would make any shinobi envious, and any parent proud.
�So you must be Ren-chan, I�ve heard a lot about you.� Behind the mask Kakashi smiled widely, his eyes crinkling upward. He never really been good with kids, Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto were proof enough. But if what Tsunade had seen when she had had the two read by ANBU operatives, the two had been through more than anyone would be able to survive. Even a high-ranked shinobi would have been pushed to the point of tears with only half of the acts the Snake Sanin had made them commit.
�Ren, this is Kakashi. He was Sakura�s, Naruto�s and my old sensei. And at no point in time are you allowed to be alone with him, nor are you allowed to read anything that he provides.� Sasuke told her, his eyes focused on Kakashi�s solitary one, taunting him to try, and see the result.
�Kakashi-san?� Ren�s small voice spoke up, her eyes turning into glittering balls of snow filled with hesitance and fear.
�That�s right Ren-chan� Kakashi replied, watching the girl move away from her spot behind Sasuke�s leg.
Ren could feel the power the silver-haired nin possessed, but at the moment she couldn�t care. There was something about the older man that teased her senses, making her body squirm, dieing to attack. And Sasuke had brought her up to never betray her feelings, lowering her face, a small smirk appeared.
Lifting one of her feet of the ground, Rin aimed for the nin�s shin before launching her attack. Back in Orochimaru�s lair, Ren fame ran along side the knowledge she would attack anyone who dared to cross her path, or endanger Sasuke. And this shinobi standing before her was just like the blonde. Both were trying to take away her father.
At the strike to his shin, Kakashi yelped, not necessarily excepting such an action from the cute girl. Looking at her, she was smiling sweetly, but the look in her cold eyes told him all he needed to know. Sasuke now had protector, and the child took her job seriously.
�I�m going to explore the rest of the house Sasuke-tousan!� Ren yelled before Sasuke could even reprimand her, or reply to her statement.
�Cute kid.� Kakashi muttered, rubbing his injured leg.
�You kidding she�s a brat.� Naruto corrected, wanting his presence to be known. Turning his head, Sasuke glared at the blonde, while he did agree, Ren also had her cute sides, and she was worth protecting.
�Is there a reason why you are here Kakashi?� Sasuke asked, tired of his ex-teacher standing there. If it were up so Sasuke, Naruto would at the moment inside the house dusting all the furniture and cleaning out the rooms. Maybe even disposing of anything that had been left in the refrigerator, after all take-out only lasted for a few days before it started to taste odd.
�Ah yes, well Iruka heard that you were back Naruto and wanted to know if you be interested in having lunch with him at the Ramen shop, because it somehow got interrupted last time.� Kakashi replied, acting as if he didn�t know who had interrupted Naruto and Iruka�s usual time together.
�I would but�well I can�t leave Sasuke�though if you could stay here Kakashi, then I could.� Naruto said, his smile reminding Kakashi of the same one that had been on Ren�s face a mere second ago. But Kakashi new if Iruka didn�t get to see Naruto safe and sound, then the Chuunin would take the kunai that never really left his hostler, and would start chopping things off. Kakashi had faced death more times than he could care to count, but the threats made from Iruka�s mouth easily beat everything.
�I would love to reminisce with a former student. But I do think you should take Ren with you, after all she will be living here from now on and she needs to get used to it.� Kakashi retorted, bringing his orange book back to reading range. Just because three years had passed didn�t mean that Kakashi didn�t enjoy making his former team miserable, in fact it was one of his favorite pass times, other than annoying Tsunade, and Iruka.
�I agree.� Sasuke stated, the tone of the words allowing no further comment to them. Aside from using this as an excuse to torture Naruto, he needed Ren out of the house, while now, Kakashi, dusted. After all it would only be natural of Ren to be curious about everything, and the house cleaning forgotten for the next following weeks.
As if she hearing her name being called, Ren walked out of the house, her body still wrapped in the winter kimono that Sakura had given her till she could get suitable clothes. The dark blue embroidered with thousands of crescent moons and stars, making the fabric seem as a moving constellation when it spun around.
�Sasuke-tousan?� The inquisitive Ren asked, her eyes flickering from one man to the other.
�You will be going with Naruto to town.� At Sasuke�s words, Ren�s eyes grew, before narrowing to small slits.
�I don�t wanna.� Ren declared defiantly, praying that if she said no enough times, Sasuke would cave in.
�To bad brat.� With the words still hanging in the air, Ren�s kimono�s collar was tugged upward, her feet soon lifting away from the ground. Once high enough, she was thrown over a shoulder clad in black and orange, like a small sack of potatoes. Blond hair sprang into her vision, and if she had been able to she would have pulled at his hair till he dropped her, and the action would have been done, except that her arms were caught between Naruto�s neck, and the arm that was preventing her from falling. It had been like Naruto had predicted that she would have tried such tactic. But just because he had stopped her arms, didn�t mean he had stopped her mouth.
�LET ME DOWN!! LET ME DOWN YOU STUPID BLONDIE! YOU IDIOT! YOU ASSHOLE! LET. ME. DOWN!� Ren�s screamed ringing through the air. Ignoring the thought he possibly would never hear from that ear again, he sent a slight wave to the remaining two and Naruto happily walked away from the eerie manor. Yes, he had ended up with a pest of his own, but at least when he got back the rooms would be clean, and Ren would have tired herself out.
Or so he hoped.
♪Sairen♪
�So how did you end up with the kid? She can�t be your�s, because all she has of you is your personality�the violent one too.� Kakashi spoke up, Ren�s screams still being heard in the air.
�She�was given to me. Her mother could not continue taking care of her.� Sasuke could still remember Uta�s eyes pleading to take her child, to protect her, the bloody Ren who held the lifeless body in her small arms, the pure black eyes that leapt to kill Orochimaru and even the screams of pain part of Ren�s punishment before she was thrown to Sasuke�s feet.
�I see. Well Sasuke-tousan what do you suggest we start cleaning first?� Pealing his eyes away from the direction his daughter had gone, he ignored Kakashi�s taunt and instead looked at the open door of the manor. To a normal person the amount of work that was in contained in the house would have taken a matter of days, even with help. But both men were shinobi�s who contained knowledgeable of more than a thousand techniques, so why wouldn�t it be reasonable to use their knowledge in such a situation.
�The floor; with clones and water jutsu�s.� Kakashi smiled under his mask at Sasuke�s response. Maybe those three years away from Konoha had done some good to Sasuke. The Sasuke that stood in front of him was different, and Kakashi had to admit he did enjoy the spark of life shining in Sasuke�s eyes.
♪Sairen♪
�LET ME GO!� The bellows leaving the small mouth made Naruto wishing he had invested into those earmuffs all those years ago. Better yet he wished he had left the girl with her loving Sasuke-tousan, at least then the migraine forming would not have appeared, nor would any of the stares quickly being accumulated as he walked down the street. Who knew the girl had such a set of lungs on her.
�Ren if you can it, I�ll treat ya to some yummy food.� Naruto smirked as the moon colored hair girl went quiet. Of course food would be the only thing to calm her down; Iruka had used the same method to make him behave when he was a child.
Smiling widely to the villagers who were eyeing him as if he had stolen something, Naruto hurried his pace, as eager to see Iruka as he was to get away from the eyes.
�Naruto-niichan!� Three separate voices called his name in unison, forcing Naruto to turn away from his direction and facing the three oncoming pre-teens.
�Konohamaru, Udon, Meogi. Long time no see.� Were for the villagers he plastered a fake grin, for the three young shinobi�s who looked up to him; he graced them with a sincere one filled with joy.
�We are so glad to see you Naruto-niichan.� Meogi smiled at the blonde shyly before turning away, not wanting Naruto to see the blush on her cheeks. In the last few years, Naruto had changed in her eyes, and she started to regret ever agreeing with Konohamaru to called Naruto niichan. Beneath the loose orange shirt, Meogi knew muscles lay underneath. Muscles sculpted from years of training and rigorous exercises.
�Where are you off to niichan?� Konohamaru pried, eyeing the shinobi he had chosen to be his idol.
�Just to see Iruka and to treat my little friend here to the best ramen in the world.� At the mention of Ren, Naruto pulled her off his shoulder. Planting her on the ground, he hoped they were far enough away that she wouldn�t try to run and get lost, just to escape him.
Ren faced the trio of teens slightly towering over her. Snot was dripping from one of the teen�s nose, while the female member looked at her as if she would soon be pinching Ren�s cheeks and squealing about how adorable Ren was. Turning to face the final member of the three, Ren narrowed her eyes at the glare she received.
�She�s a midget.� Konohamaru stated, looking down at the iceberg-eyed girl. Behind her, Ren could hear Naruto�s muffled laugh, ignoring the jinchuuriki Ren opened her mouth.
�At least my face wasn�t used as a scratching post.�
�The cat is evil!� Konohamaru protested, remembering how the large white cat with the pink bow had escaped his mistress�s arms again, and had decided Konohamaru should be punished for returning him to the overly tight grip the women possessed.
�Oh and here I thought your face always looked like that.� Ren retorted, pleased he was on the defensive.
�Why you little�� Before Konohamaru could utter another word, the shrill sounding voice of Ebisu reached all three teens. Tensing as if they had just been caught by a group of S-class shinobi�s, they inspected their surrounding area, trying to find their sensei.
�Hehe, looks like we got to go Naru-nii. Bye!� Konohamaru stated rubbing the back of his head, a trait he copied from Naruto. With a quick wave from the three genin�s, and a poof following the billowing clouds from the smoke bombs, they disappeared.
Knowing whatever the teens tried to do, Ebisu would catch up to them, Naruto�s mind wandered away from the three genins and to the ramen patiently waiting for him.
�Well Ren let�s go get that ramen I promised.� Holding out his hand, Naruto waited for Ren to take it. Turning to face the blonde, Ren raised one of her eyebrows, unsure of what the blonde truly wanted.
�I promise I don�t bite.� Giving him a warily look, Ren placed her small hand into his larger one. Orochimaru constantly told her the only one, who stood in the way of Sasuke leading a perfect life, happened to be the very blonde who stood before her. A part of her wanted to agree with the Snake; wanting to rip the blonde piece by piece and hearing his agonized screams. Yet for some reason, she wanted to fight against that desire, she wanted to trust this shinobi that made Sasuke smile, and act happier than he had appeared in years. If this blonde created happiness for her father, then she would try to get along with him.
�So where are we going?� Smiling at Ren, Naruto trapped her hand in his; pleased she had started to accept him.
�To Ichiraku�s!� Naruto shouted loudly, pointing to a random direction, causing Ren to giggle at the strangeness the blonde appeared to have. At the sound of the giggle, Naruto sent another large smile towards her.
♪Sairen♪
Iruka released an irritated sigh, unsure if he left his house late enough. Three hours ago, he had asked Kakashi to find Naruto and ask him to come to Ichiraku�s. Iruka could tell Kakashi had been dieing to see how Sasuke was, and Iruka could not blame him, since he felt the same need. But, while Sasuke was important to Kakashi, Naruto simply was more important to Iruka. The rumors floating around the village were slowly killing Iruka, for he knew how important Sasuke was to Naruto, and hearing that Naruto had arrived at Konoha�s gate bloody while carrying an unconscious Sasuke, hardly calmed Iruka�s nerves.
Taking his mind off of Naruto�s condition and instead of where the blonde was, Iruka looked down the street where he knew the blonde apartment was. Yet there was no sign of the hyper blond. Only villagers walked to and fro in front of the ramen bar.
�I�m going to kill Kakashi if he forgot to tell Naruto, and got distracted�again.� Iruka muttered, his cheery expression darkening at the images of how to torture the scarecrow shinobi for twice ruining his time with Naruto.
�Iruka-sensei!� Turning his head in the opposite direction, Iruka took in the running blonde, waving one hand up high in the air, while the other to preoccupied with holding unto the child who looked to be unsure if she really wanted to follow the blonde. Forgetting the fact Naruto was not coming his usual way, Iruka raised his arm back in a greeting.
Only a few seconds passed before a panting blonde stopped in front of Iruka. Before Naruto could even utter another word, Iruka wrapped his arms around the blondes frame in a tight bear hug.
�I-Iru�ka�sensei�I�can�t b-breathe��Naruto squeaked out, his face turning bluer with each second passing. Ripples of laughter came from Naruto�s body, dropping the suffocating blonde, Iruka�s brown eyes met with iceberg colored eyes. The moment Naruto�s body could no longer be used as a shield, the laugher stopped abruptly, fear replacing the happiness so quickly Iruka became uncertain, the joy had even been there.
�Hello there, I�m Umino Iruka.� Kneeling down Iruka lowered himself to meet her face to face. Following her instincts Ren took a step back, preparing to run at a moments notice. But the typical feelings of resentment or anger were not sullying the air, in fact the area around the man felt calm and peaceful. A coughing sound resonated from somewhere, but Ren was to at peace to care.
�Iruka-sensei, this is Ren. Ren, Iruka-sensei was Sasuke�s, Sakura�s and my teacher at the academy.� Naruto announced, his face slowly regaining the color it lost during Iruka�s �loving� hug. Naruto had sensed the fear permutated from the child the moment Iruka dropped him, yet now Ren, she seemed calm. Naruto smiled, Iruka had the ability to any one feel at peace, which could never be said about Kakashi.
�Was Sasuke-tousan a bad student?� Ren asked, her grin reappearing, and her eyes filing with curiosity.
�No, the only bad student I had was Naruto.� Iruka replied to the girl, laughing.
�Hey I kept the class awake during those boring lectures!� Naruto protested, receiving a hard glare from Iruka for bad-mouthing his lectures, while at the same time Ren sprouted into a fit of laughter, not having a second to evade, Iruka swung down his palm, smacking the back of Naruto�s head. Naturally, resulting in more laughter to be brought past Ren�s lips.
�Stop fooling around Naruto. Unless, that is, you don�t want any ramen?� The pout that had appeared from the strike, left instantly, replaced by drool dripping from the corners of his mouth.
Grabbing a hold of Ren�s and Iruka�s arm, Naruto bound forward, past the red cloth entrance to the ramen bar, yelling loudly.
�Hey old man!�
♪Sairen♪
�Sasuke?� Sasuke could hear the voice, but his eyes simply to stubborn to open. Grunting a response instead, he waited for a continuation, but nothing came. Finally opening his eyes, the first sight, to meet his eyes, ended up being water sprouting from ever corner of his house.
�Looks bad.� Sasuke muttered, Kakashi nodding his head in agreement from his place above the tree Sasuke lay under.
�Let the clones handle it.� Sasuke mumbled, his voice growing husky with sleep. His ebony eyes watched more of the water pour out through the second story window, acting like a small waterfall. Shrugging his shoulder, Sasuke simply turned his back to the house, and promptly drifted back to sleep.
Agreeing with Sasuke once more, Kakashi simply brought his book up again; making sure it completely blocked his vision. He wasn�t really in the mood to watch the destruction of the Uchiha manor.
♪Sairen♪
�It�s been a while Naruto.� Tenchi answered, hearing the blonde stomp his way into the ramen shop. Smiling widely, Naruto threw Iruka toward one seat, before picking up Ren and plucking her unto another one. Once everyone had been seated, Naruto followed. Sitting on his stool, his drool tripling in amount as the ramen smell struck his nose. Laughing at the blonde�s antics, Tenchi threw the noodles into the broth.
�I thought that was Naruto-kun I heard.� Ayame said, coming out from the back room, her hands wiping themselves on her apron.
�Hello Iruka-sensei.� Ayame said, while placing a glass of water in front of each.
�And who is this cutie?� Smiling at Ren, everyone waited for the reply, but when it never came Naruto took over.
�This is Ren, and it is her first time to ever try some ramen.� A shy smile graced Ren�s face at Naruto�s statement.
�Well, then you are in for a treat. Though I must say it might not be on the same level as Naruto proclaims it to be.� Tenchi commented, pouring in the vegetables, he finished chopping, into the large pot.
�Dad is just being modest. Naruto eats enough of it to know how amazing it is.� Ayame laughed, her brown eyes twinkling. Pulling out three white bowls, they sat on the counter waiting for their purpose. A few minutes passed before the old man poured the noodles and broth into the bowls, and placing them in front of the trio.
Mutters of �Itadaki-masu� and the snapping sound of chopsticks resonated in the air. Ren glanced to Iruka who calmly ate the ramen, a simple smile set on his lips, to Naruto shoveling down the ramen like his life depended on it.
Gazing down at the steaming broth, Ren timidly took the chopsticks into her hands, pulling them apart with a snap. Looking up, Ayame and the old man watched, eagerly waiting for her first taste and response that would follow. With a similar mutter of �itadaki-masu� the chopsticks were shoved into the bowl, and brought up in a single swoop. Noodles clung to rods, as if it their savior. But unfortunately for the noodles, they were heading for another place instead of heaven.
Pausing in his usual rapid consumption of ramen, Naruto moved his eyes to glance over at Ren, the smile across her face growing wider with each second. With a swallow, Ren�s chopsticks flew up, shoving ramen in her petite mouth, in a speed that could match Naruto�s.
�Looks like we have another Naruto on our hands.� Tenchi proclaimed, throwing more noodles into the broth preparing more for the two.
�Houkou would have a fit if he knew what you were thinking.� Kyuubi laughed, commenting on Naruto�s thoughts of how cute Ren looked while attacking the ramen. �Kit, remember� eventually Houkou will use the girl to get to us.� Ignoring the concern laced in the kitsune�s voice, Naruto resumed eating his ramen, never noticing the look of concern Iruka shot at him.
♪Sairen♪
Ren watched Naruto finish his third bowl of ramen before starting out on the fourth one, placed in front of him a few seconds prior.
�Iruwa-senzei, shy bib zuo zend Kakazhi?� Naruto tried to asked, the question becoming lost as noodles spilled out of his mouth.
�Naruto don�t talk with your mouth full.� Iruka chided, his cheeks tinted in a low shade of red. Just because the blonde had been speaking with his mouth full, didn�t mean Iruka hadn�t understood him. After all Iruka had spent over ten years with the blonde. It simply meant that the question Naruto asked, Iruka had not intention of answering. Not now, not ever.
Picking up the bowl, the broth of Ren�s second bowl slid down her throat with ease. But the sudden appearance of the sullen look on Naruto�s face had Ren giggling through the broth, spewing what hadn�t gone down unto the table.
�I don�t think I can eat anymore Iruka-sensei.� Ren stated, wiping away the broth that stayed on her lips. Ren figured if the stupid blonde could call the man sensei, she could too; after all he was currently treating to the delicious noodles. Releasing a yawn, her eyelids became droopy over her iceberg eyes, and the warmth of the ramen coursing through her slowly making her sleepy.
�I was able to eat triple what you just ate when I was eight.� Naruto taunted, this time with his mouth empty, but the chopsticks holding the ramen only a breath away.
Never one to back down from a challenge, her sleepiness disappeared, replaced by eagerness. Ren opened her mouth to place another order before being stopped by a few waving bills.
�There�s a candy shop across the street. They have the best kind of candies there, even Kunai gummies. Why don�t you go get some?� Iruka said a sincere smile on his lips. Looking from Naruto to the bills, Ren felt torn, but in the end it was an easy choice.
�Thanks Iruka-sensei.� Grabbing the bills, Ren spun around on her stool, jumping off when she faced the streets, and ran straight ahead to the store Iruka had mentioned.
�So about Kakashi�� Naruto started, before being interrupted by his old teacher.
�Tsunade-sama said you were guarding Sasuke, and I know that you�ve wanted Sasuke back since he left, but�well there a lot of people who are worried.�
�Iruka-sensei.� Naruto murmured, dropping his chopsticks into the semi-full ramen bowl, his stomach suddenly feeling completely full.
Ayame noticing the unease between the pair, pushed her father out of the room out of respect.
�You guys have nothing to worry about. I�m fine, Kyuubi is fine. But that�s not what you are really worried about is it?� Naruto questioned. Iruka was one of the few who knew about the stronger connection he had developed with the demon. But Naruto knew, this time Iruka wasn�t concerned about the demon, but the man who held the beast.
�Naruto you act so strong, but you�re still so young. I know this sounds like I�m just babbling, but I don�t believe you ever truly grew up. You�ve matured, and you can fight like no other, but you emotions�they still control you. The idea that Sasuke will always be the same Sasuke you tried to beat when you were younger is�Well, I don�t think you ever broke away from that. If you had too, would you kill him?� Silence was Iruka�s only response.
�It sounded better when I was practicing.� Iruka mumbled, laughing weakly, upset that he hadn�t truly gotten his point across. �Stupid Kakashi, distracting me when I tried to practice� A deep fire burned in Iruka�s eyes, thinking of the millions and one of ways he could torture the silver-haired shinobi.
The sudden laughter surging from Naruto�s lips refocused Iruka�s mind on the blonde in front of him.
�No, Iruka-sensei. I understand. But I don�t want you to worry so much. You�re the closest thing I�ve had to a father and I know if I need to, I can always come to you. And if the old hag says I have to�I think�no I would be able to.� Naruto�s eyes strayed away from their spot on the ramen bowl, and tried to focus anywhere else. Iruka smiled softly, worry still etched in his face. Lifting up his hand, he placed it on the blonde locks before ruffling them.
�AHH!� At the sudden scream, both Naruto and Iruka leapt out of their stool, sprinting out of Ichiraku�s.
�Ren.� Iruka stated in realization. A large crowd had already gathered in front of the small candy shop, all trying to see what had gathered everyone�s attention. Naruto pushed his way past the people in the crowd, not only fearing something had happened to Ren, but what Sasuke would do if something actually had happened to his daughter. Pushing his head between two tightly pressed bodies, his blue eyes found the source of the scream and the point of attraction.
Ren stood near the door, a small bag of gummies clutched tightly in her hands, her eyes wide in fear at the pair of elder woman, one who currently was pinching her cheeks.
�Oh my, you are the cutest little thing, aren�t you.� One of the grayed hair women spoke, making cooing noises to Ren. The woman�s friend beside her giggled, her hands itching to pull Ren�s cheeks.
Seeing Ren safe in the hands of the old women, Naruto let go of the breath he unintentionally had been holding in. As the villagers realized nothing of importance was occurring, the crowd started to disperse, allowing Naruto to make his way completely through. However, Naruto didn�t noticing as he approached the older two women and Ren, the crowd started to gather again. This times their eyes on the jinchuuriki.
�Ren?� Ren looked up at the sound of her name. Seeing Naruto standing in front of her was barely a relief, but he was definitely better than these two hags who, Ren swore were trying to pinch her to death.
�Naruto.� Breaking away from the two women, Ren sprang for the blonde�s body. Weave around; Ren clasped the back of his jacket, fearing the ladies would still try to attack her cheeks.
�I�m sorry ladies, Ren needs to go back home.� Naruto said, smiling at the two. Turning around, he kept Ren in front of him as he made his way back to Iruka.
�Why would she want to return with a demon.� The vile words seemed like a kunai had hit him in the back. While almost all the villagers treated Naruto with respect and no longer cared about his presence or the fact he carried the nine-tailed kitsune, there were still some older villagers who couldn�t see the different between the kitsune, and Naruto himself.
Ren turned her eyes to Naruto�s face as the words wrapped themselves around the pair. His lips were in a tight thin line, and the usual brightness in his eyes dulled.
�I don�t believe Uchiha-sama would appreciate the poor girl being tainted by the likes of a demon. Don�t you agree Aya?� One of the women muttered, loud enough for everyone to hear. The other woman agreed with a nod of her head. Growling, Ren stepped away from Naruto, and faced the two women. Her iceberg eyes cold enough that surely if Ren tried hard enough they would both turn into chunks of ice.
�Don�t talk about my Sasuke-tousan as if you know him you ugly bitches. Naruto has more of his respect and mine then you two will ever have, combined. Naruto is not a demon!� Ren yelled, knowing her words held only some truth, but only she was allowed to torture the blonde, no one else.
�You�re young, you do not know of what you speak.� Aya said, her eyes narrowing at Ren clearing not taking Ren�s words seriously.
�Let me out. We can rip them to pieces like the others. We can KILL Kyuubi. We can rip everyone to pieces. Think of the blood. The blood�just let me OUT!� The voice ripped through her head, and as tempting as the idea sounded Ren knew she couldn�t.
�I know more then you two bitches seem to. And if you don�t want to be ripped to pieces by a true demon. You. Will. Leave. Now!� Ren growled out. The two women widened their eyes at the threat, but not taking any chances they rushed through the crowd, faster than a normal haggard women could run.
Turning back to the waiting blonde, who had stayed at the same spot since the moment she had decided to protect him, a smile was on his face. Eyes filled with surprise met her form; everyone in the crowd was looking at her, all with large smiles on their faces, just like Naruto�s.
Ren tensed, not use to this much attention, nor the smiling faces mentally cheering for her actions against the old two women. Laughter broke Ren�s unease, and Naruto ruffled the moon-colored locks, mussing her hair, just like Iruka had done to him minutes ago.
�I didn�t know you cared so much for me Ren.� Naruto teased, Ren shooting a hard glare in his direction. �But let�s not tell Sasuke about your word choice�� Naruto said, in an after thought. He really didn�t want to be blamed for Ren�s recent vocabulary.
�I don�t.� Ren muttered, to Naruto�s previous statement, turning her head away, a pout gracing her lips.
�If I didn�t believe Ren was Sasuke�s child, I do now. That pout of hers makes her look exactly like him when he just stared the Academy.� Iruka laughed, walking towards the pair, the crowd already gone, pleased to see the women put in their place. Naruto glanced at the inu-jinchuuriki, seeing the truth.
�She does, doesn�t she?� Naruto commented, laughing. Ren narrowed her eyes, copying Sasuke infamous glare.
�Anyway Iruka-sensei, I really should get this little fighter back.� Iruka opened his mouth, but the large spread smile on Naruto�s lips stopped him.
�Of course. Bye Naruto, Ren.� Iruka said, as the pair waved goodbye. �Naruto still believes he is alone. He can�t see that he is surrounded by people who want to protect him. And Ren may just become another one of those.� Iruka thought, watching the pair heading towards the Uchiha manor.
Ren walked a bit a head of Naruto, jumping across small puddles of water left by the rain. When she finally reached a puddle much larger then she previously been jumping, she stopped. While the puddle was impossible for her to jump over didn�t mean it couldn�t have another use. Smiling wickedly, Ren backed up a few inches, sticking out her left leg, and opening her mouth.
�Hey Naruto, come look at this!� Not paying to much attention, Naruto walked over to Ren, the leg ready to trip him, going unnoticed until it was too late.
The same feeling as free-falling from a tree took over him. Yet it ended all too soon as his face hit the clear waters of the puddle, turning them murky within seconds. Ren�s laughter rang through the streets.
Glancing back, Iruka chuckled at the view of his ex-student standing up, his front caked with mud, his blonde hair looking brown.
�I�m going to kill you Ren!� Naruto shouted, reaching for the girl. Skirting her way from the blonde�s reach, Ren ran ahead, laughing as she sprinted away from the blonde.
�Those two will never get bored of each other.� Iruka told to no one in particular, heading back into the ramen bar to pay for the meal, and to think of the many ways he could torture a particular silver haired, gray and red eyed shinobi, who most definitely would be sleeping on the couch tonight.
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A/N: So that is the story�please REVIEW!!! They make me feel all nice and warm, and trust me I need the warmth, my place is freezing even with the heater on . and for your enjoyment I will present two loving convs. I had with my editor and this French prodigy.
Prodigy: He�s the ministry of French Drug Trips
Ebony: (whispering to me)What�s the difference between regular drug trips then?
Pheme: The French do it better. (shrugging)
And�.
Ebony: Why is it called French Kissing?
Pheme: Cause the French invented it.
Ebony: I can�t imagine stuffy people like them do something like that.
Haha I do love my French class, and no Ebony wanted me to say she does love all French people, but we just get so bored sometimes in French we talk about the random and stupidest things�ehh I�ll live�.
Only if I get reviews though Thanks!
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Crimson and Clovers