I figured that since I am a member, I might as well contribute something. This is the first chapter of my story, Through Crimson Eyes. The prologue can be found at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2976824/1/ Any comments or constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated.
Disclaimer: I don't own it.
Naruto dressed hurriedly, tossing his clothes into a pile in the corner before grabbing a clean outfit from another pile nearby. He sniffed himself experimentally, then shrugged. He didn't smell too bad, plus he was already late. Grinning at the thought of what the others would say when they saw him, he slipped on his trademark outfit, hopping a bit from one leg to the other as he pulled on his pants. Finally, with much more care, he carefully placed his head protector against his forehead, tying a simple knot in the back.
ôPerfect,ö he proclaimed, a large grin splitting his face.
He was almost out the door when his stomach began grumbling, reminding him that he had forgotten something very important. Casting a desperate glance at the clock in his kitchen, he groaned when he saw that he was already fifteen minutes late.
What to do... what to do...
Shrugging, he decided to go with his instincts and make a quick cup of ramen. After all, a ninja couldn't fight on an empty stomach, right? Right.
His reservations squashed, he grabbed a cup, filling it with water, all the while hoping that Iruka-sensei wouldn't be too mad.
o o o o
ôYou're late, idiot!ö
Ducking his head slightly, Naruto grinned in what he hoped was a disarming manner at his irate teacher.
ôSorry, sorry, but I was sooo hungry, and since I had already slept in, I figured that it wouldn't hurt if I got some ramen,ö he explained, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. He hoped that Iruka-sensei would understand the predicament that he had been in, but seeing his sensei slap his forehead in exasperation, he realized that perhaps he had been expecting too much.
ôWhatever,ö Iruka grumbled, shaking his head in disgust. ôJust... just go pick a seat. I was about to announce the team assignments.ö
Half the class laughed at this, but Naruto just smiled, relieved that he was getting off so easy.
He took a seat towards the back, kicking his feet up on the table in front of him. Leaning back in his chair, he listened to Iruka-sensei with half a ear, not really caring about what the older man was saying, but eager to hear what team he was on.
It would be great if I could be on the same team as Sakura-chan, he thought, grinning at the the thought of his long-time crush. Looking around, he saw her, sitting next to that Uchiha guy.
As though sensing his eyes on her, she turned around, looking at him. He waved, happy that she had noticed him, but she only scowled, clenching a fist warningly. Deflated, he let his arm drop to his side again, and Sakura turned away, looking at the previous recipient of her attention: Sasuke.
Naruto frowned, irritated that he had been brushed off so casually. They were always googly-eyed over that bastard, something that he had never understood, since it wasn't like Sasuke ever did anything to deserve it. After all, Naruto was ten times the ninja that bastard was. Besides, from what he could tell, the guy didn't even like girls.
That bastard, always acting so cool, as if no one else mattered. What the hell did Sakura-chan see in the prick anyway? Frustrated and angry, Naruto scowled at the other boy, fighting the urge to walk over there and deck the guy. Then we'll see who's cool. He won't look so tough when my fist is--
--He laughed, watching the feeble efforts of the humans as they attempted to run away. He was far too strong for them, and he applauded their intelligence in recognizing this fact, but they were fools if they thought that they would actually survive this day.
With deliberate cruelty, he swished out of his tails out, idly smashing a building in the process. He watched as the falling building crushed several of the little rats, who were too slow and pathetic to get away in time.--
He hunched over, breath coming in short gasps as reality slammed back into him. Not again, he thought desperately, panicking. Not here. Even though he tried not to think about the dreams, or the events that they portrayed, there were times when it seemed as though he couldn't help but remember, times when he was forced to relive the destructive events.
ôHey, dead last, I don't care if you are just going to sit there all day, but make sure you aren't late. I'm not going to be held back just because you decided to daydream.ö
He jerked, his body still shaking from the vividness of the vision he had just seen. Slowly, with maddening sluggishness, he raised his head, his eyes blinking rapidly until they finally focused, leaving him staring at an annoyed Sasuke.
ôBastard,ö Naruto replied automatically, though he felt too drained and sickened for the insult to hold any heat. Instead, he was trying to figure out what the hell the guy was talking about.
ôWhatever,ö Sasuke grunted. As though he had lost all interest in the conversation, he turned away, walking outside the classroom. Sakura, who had been standing next to him, gave Naruto an odd look before running off to catch up with him.
Frowning, realizing that he had missed his team assignment, Naruto stood up, wondering what the hell he was supposed to do. All the other genin had already left, probably to meet their instructors, leaving him alone with Iruka-sensei, who was watching him with concern.
ôHey, Iruka-sensei,ö Naruto began, trying to be discrete. ôCan you tell me what team I was assigned to? I kinda wasn't paying attention.ö
Iruka frowned, his eyes narrowing as he stared at his student. ôNaruto, is there something wrong?ö
Naruto laughed weakly, a wretched sound that didn't sound convincing even to himself. ôOf course not, Iruka-sensei. I'm great!ö He tried to smile, failed, and tried again, this time managing a pathetic little grimace that he hoped was close enough.
No such luck.
Iruka frowned, walking over to the boy. ôI know how much you were looking forward to this, and yet you were still late. And now you are telling me that you weren't paying attention when I was assigning teams. Are you sure you are alright?ö
Naruto was near tears at this point, something that he hoped Iruka-sensei didn't notice. Again, he felt the urge to confess, to tell his teacher about his dreams and trust in the man to do what was best.
ôNaruto isn't like that!!ö
ôHe isn't the demon fox anymore.ö
Again, the fear stopped him. What if he is wrong? His mind shrank back from the thought, from the idea that had been lurking in his mind for the past week, but that he had never acknowledged. What if I am the kyuubi?
And yet, looking into Iruka-sensei's eyes, so concerned, so trusting, he almost broke down. The words were on the tip of his tongue...
ôYou aren't still thinking about what I said about Mizuki, are you?ö Iruka asked, peering at him intently. He closed his eyes wearily, putting a hand to his forehead. ôI shouldn't have told you about that,ö he sighed. ôI thought that it would make you feel better, knowing that you wouldn't have to worry about him, but I can see that it has only made you feel worse.
That's not it at all, Naruto thought in protest, but Iruka continued on.
ôI know that you liked Mizuki until recently, but you have to believe me, he got what he had coming to him. He was a traitor to the village, and during interrogation, he admitted that he was planning on going missing-nin. You shouldn't feel bad for a guy like that.ö
Interrogation. Naruto's stomach felt queasy at the thought. Though he had never seen one, he knew enough about the process to recognize that usually it wasn't a gentle process, often involving blood and pain, and in large quantities. While he might not have been very familiar with interrogations, he knew more than enough about both of those to immediately be wary. They had executed Mizuki for his crimes; what would they do to him?
The bastards would probably jump for joy at the chance to put him down.
ôI'm fine,ö he said, his eyes imploring Iruka to believe him. ôI really am. I'm just a little hungry. I'll go get some ramen and then I'll be okay.,ö he said, laughing shakily.
Iruka didn't look very convinced, but finally he just sighed and nodded. ôOkay,ö he said. ôYou are on Team Seven with Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke. You'll be meeting your jounin instructor in classroom 215 in four hours.ö
ôOkay, thanks Iruka-sensei,ö Naruto beamed, smiling gratefully. He jumped out of his chair and turned to leave, but Iruka's voice stopped him.
ôNaruto, you know that if something is bothering you, you can always come to me, right?ö
Feeling more in control of himself, Naruto turned his head to grin at his teacher. ôYeah, yeah. Thanks, Iruka-sensei, but like I said, I'm just a little hungry. I'll grab some ramen and then I'll be fine.ö
Giving a little wave, Naruto started walking out of the classroom, making sure not to run. After all, having just convinced his teacher that he was fine, he didn't want to do anything to make him suspicious.
It wasn't until he was outside the school that some of Iruka's words began to sink in.
ôWait a sec! Why am I in the same team as that bum!?!ö
Disclaimer: I don't own it.
Naruto dressed hurriedly, tossing his clothes into a pile in the corner before grabbing a clean outfit from another pile nearby. He sniffed himself experimentally, then shrugged. He didn't smell too bad, plus he was already late. Grinning at the thought of what the others would say when they saw him, he slipped on his trademark outfit, hopping a bit from one leg to the other as he pulled on his pants. Finally, with much more care, he carefully placed his head protector against his forehead, tying a simple knot in the back.
ôPerfect,ö he proclaimed, a large grin splitting his face.
He was almost out the door when his stomach began grumbling, reminding him that he had forgotten something very important. Casting a desperate glance at the clock in his kitchen, he groaned when he saw that he was already fifteen minutes late.
What to do... what to do...
Shrugging, he decided to go with his instincts and make a quick cup of ramen. After all, a ninja couldn't fight on an empty stomach, right? Right.
His reservations squashed, he grabbed a cup, filling it with water, all the while hoping that Iruka-sensei wouldn't be too mad.
o o o o
ôYou're late, idiot!ö
Ducking his head slightly, Naruto grinned in what he hoped was a disarming manner at his irate teacher.
ôSorry, sorry, but I was sooo hungry, and since I had already slept in, I figured that it wouldn't hurt if I got some ramen,ö he explained, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. He hoped that Iruka-sensei would understand the predicament that he had been in, but seeing his sensei slap his forehead in exasperation, he realized that perhaps he had been expecting too much.
ôWhatever,ö Iruka grumbled, shaking his head in disgust. ôJust... just go pick a seat. I was about to announce the team assignments.ö
Half the class laughed at this, but Naruto just smiled, relieved that he was getting off so easy.
He took a seat towards the back, kicking his feet up on the table in front of him. Leaning back in his chair, he listened to Iruka-sensei with half a ear, not really caring about what the older man was saying, but eager to hear what team he was on.
It would be great if I could be on the same team as Sakura-chan, he thought, grinning at the the thought of his long-time crush. Looking around, he saw her, sitting next to that Uchiha guy.
As though sensing his eyes on her, she turned around, looking at him. He waved, happy that she had noticed him, but she only scowled, clenching a fist warningly. Deflated, he let his arm drop to his side again, and Sakura turned away, looking at the previous recipient of her attention: Sasuke.
Naruto frowned, irritated that he had been brushed off so casually. They were always googly-eyed over that bastard, something that he had never understood, since it wasn't like Sasuke ever did anything to deserve it. After all, Naruto was ten times the ninja that bastard was. Besides, from what he could tell, the guy didn't even like girls.
That bastard, always acting so cool, as if no one else mattered. What the hell did Sakura-chan see in the prick anyway? Frustrated and angry, Naruto scowled at the other boy, fighting the urge to walk over there and deck the guy. Then we'll see who's cool. He won't look so tough when my fist is--
--He laughed, watching the feeble efforts of the humans as they attempted to run away. He was far too strong for them, and he applauded their intelligence in recognizing this fact, but they were fools if they thought that they would actually survive this day.
With deliberate cruelty, he swished out of his tails out, idly smashing a building in the process. He watched as the falling building crushed several of the little rats, who were too slow and pathetic to get away in time.--
He hunched over, breath coming in short gasps as reality slammed back into him. Not again, he thought desperately, panicking. Not here. Even though he tried not to think about the dreams, or the events that they portrayed, there were times when it seemed as though he couldn't help but remember, times when he was forced to relive the destructive events.
ôHey, dead last, I don't care if you are just going to sit there all day, but make sure you aren't late. I'm not going to be held back just because you decided to daydream.ö
He jerked, his body still shaking from the vividness of the vision he had just seen. Slowly, with maddening sluggishness, he raised his head, his eyes blinking rapidly until they finally focused, leaving him staring at an annoyed Sasuke.
ôBastard,ö Naruto replied automatically, though he felt too drained and sickened for the insult to hold any heat. Instead, he was trying to figure out what the hell the guy was talking about.
ôWhatever,ö Sasuke grunted. As though he had lost all interest in the conversation, he turned away, walking outside the classroom. Sakura, who had been standing next to him, gave Naruto an odd look before running off to catch up with him.
Frowning, realizing that he had missed his team assignment, Naruto stood up, wondering what the hell he was supposed to do. All the other genin had already left, probably to meet their instructors, leaving him alone with Iruka-sensei, who was watching him with concern.
ôHey, Iruka-sensei,ö Naruto began, trying to be discrete. ôCan you tell me what team I was assigned to? I kinda wasn't paying attention.ö
Iruka frowned, his eyes narrowing as he stared at his student. ôNaruto, is there something wrong?ö
Naruto laughed weakly, a wretched sound that didn't sound convincing even to himself. ôOf course not, Iruka-sensei. I'm great!ö He tried to smile, failed, and tried again, this time managing a pathetic little grimace that he hoped was close enough.
No such luck.
Iruka frowned, walking over to the boy. ôI know how much you were looking forward to this, and yet you were still late. And now you are telling me that you weren't paying attention when I was assigning teams. Are you sure you are alright?ö
Naruto was near tears at this point, something that he hoped Iruka-sensei didn't notice. Again, he felt the urge to confess, to tell his teacher about his dreams and trust in the man to do what was best.
ôNaruto isn't like that!!ö
ôHe isn't the demon fox anymore.ö
Again, the fear stopped him. What if he is wrong? His mind shrank back from the thought, from the idea that had been lurking in his mind for the past week, but that he had never acknowledged. What if I am the kyuubi?
And yet, looking into Iruka-sensei's eyes, so concerned, so trusting, he almost broke down. The words were on the tip of his tongue...
ôYou aren't still thinking about what I said about Mizuki, are you?ö Iruka asked, peering at him intently. He closed his eyes wearily, putting a hand to his forehead. ôI shouldn't have told you about that,ö he sighed. ôI thought that it would make you feel better, knowing that you wouldn't have to worry about him, but I can see that it has only made you feel worse.
That's not it at all, Naruto thought in protest, but Iruka continued on.
ôI know that you liked Mizuki until recently, but you have to believe me, he got what he had coming to him. He was a traitor to the village, and during interrogation, he admitted that he was planning on going missing-nin. You shouldn't feel bad for a guy like that.ö
Interrogation. Naruto's stomach felt queasy at the thought. Though he had never seen one, he knew enough about the process to recognize that usually it wasn't a gentle process, often involving blood and pain, and in large quantities. While he might not have been very familiar with interrogations, he knew more than enough about both of those to immediately be wary. They had executed Mizuki for his crimes; what would they do to him?
The bastards would probably jump for joy at the chance to put him down.
ôI'm fine,ö he said, his eyes imploring Iruka to believe him. ôI really am. I'm just a little hungry. I'll go get some ramen and then I'll be okay.,ö he said, laughing shakily.
Iruka didn't look very convinced, but finally he just sighed and nodded. ôOkay,ö he said. ôYou are on Team Seven with Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke. You'll be meeting your jounin instructor in classroom 215 in four hours.ö
ôOkay, thanks Iruka-sensei,ö Naruto beamed, smiling gratefully. He jumped out of his chair and turned to leave, but Iruka's voice stopped him.
ôNaruto, you know that if something is bothering you, you can always come to me, right?ö
Feeling more in control of himself, Naruto turned his head to grin at his teacher. ôYeah, yeah. Thanks, Iruka-sensei, but like I said, I'm just a little hungry. I'll grab some ramen and then I'll be fine.ö
Giving a little wave, Naruto started walking out of the classroom, making sure not to run. After all, having just convinced his teacher that he was fine, he didn't want to do anything to make him suspicious.
It wasn't until he was outside the school that some of Iruka's words began to sink in.
ôWait a sec! Why am I in the same team as that bum!?!ö