Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ The Boy who would become Hokage ❯ Acceptance ( Chapter 2 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

"So Naruto, where are we going?" Sakura asked as she looked around at the many resturants where villagers were going to and fro. They had just came from the training grounds where they had been practicing their Taijutsu skills. It seemed that Naruto had exceledin that department where she was still the same as when she first began in the ninja academy.
"Um...How about Ichariku Raman?" Naruto asked hopefully as he started walking towards the stand. Ichariku's was one of the few places where he was accepted instead of kicked out because of the Nine-tailed fox within him. Actually, it was the only place he was accepted.
"Don't you eat anything besides raman?" Sakura asked worridely as they took a seat on two of the four stools inside the stand.
"Nope, except what Kakashi gives me" Naruto though outloud before ordering for himself and Sakura. Whnen the two bowls of miso pork raman arrived Naruto hungrily devouered him in a few minutes while it was staming hot. After he finished he watched Sakura eat hers a while lot more slowly as more minutes ticked by.
"Thank you Naruto, that was great." Sakura exvailined as she pushed her now empty forward and looked at Naruto with a sile.
"Your welcome!" Naruto said gleefully as he hopped off of his stool and helped Sakura donw from hers.
"Hey Naruto?" Sakura asked as they began walking down the streets.
"Yes Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked alertly as he looked over at Sakura.
"Let's go to the market and get you something to eat besides raman so you can take it home with you." Sakura took Naruto's hand into her own and veered on a side street to get to the numerious markets in the village's center.
A small blush arose to Naruto's cheeks as Sakura led him by the hand to the market. Sakura had never been this close in contact with himunless they were training so he didn't know how to react. She used to try and advoid him at all costs but now it seemed as if she...liked him. Naruto snapped out of his thoughts when he heard Sakura calling his name.
"Naruto, are you listening to me?" Sakura asked as she stood in front of him with her hands on her hips.
"Oh...Sorry Sakura-chan. I guess I just zoned out" Naruto explained hurridely as he rubbed the back of his head in embarrasment.
"That's okay, I do that sometimes too. Anyway, why don't you got to that stand and get soem fruit while I get vegetables." Sakura pointed a finger toward a fruit stand before going in the opposite direction.
"Sakura-chan sure is bossy" Naruto whispered to himself before going where Sakura had indicated.
A few minutes later Naruto came out of the stand with a grown on his face and a brown paper bag in his hands. He followed the row of stands up the street until he spotted Sakura paying for the vegetables she had got.
When Sakura turned around she jumped silightly in surprise when she almost ran into Naruto. She looked from his face that seemed depressed to the small bag in his hands.
"Here. Let me see what you bought." Sakura said as she took the bag from his hands and looked inside. She pulled up an apple to find that one side of it was rotten with worm holes in it. She looked through the rest of the things to see that they were in just as worst shape.
"You can't eat these. Come one!" Sakura handed both bags to Naruto before storming down the street towards the stand Naruto had came from.
"Hey you, old man!" Sakura yelled to a middle aged man who had his back turned, getting fruit for another customer.
"Mind your manners young lady and wait your turn," the man said as he continued witht what he was doing.
"Naruto was here and you gave him fruit not worth eating. So we demand that you give him ediable food!" Sakura yelled as she took the said bag of fruit from Naruto and threw it on the counter. Sakura watched as the man turned angry eyes on her that darkened when he looked at Naruto. Sakura didn't know why but for some readon when she saw that man look at Naruto that way she vot even more angry.
"I don't give refunds" the gruff mand said as he turned back around. But before he could turn to his next customer he was spun around and a fist slammed into his stomach making him boudble over in pain.
"Now if you don't cooperate then you'll get worse thhan that" Sakura said as she watched the many angrily. Quickly the and got some of the best fruit he had and a little extra and fearfully gave the bag to Naruto as he watched Sakura wairly.
While this was happening Naruto was glued to the ground with his mouth opened in shock. KIt was the first time that any body had ever took up for him and over something as trifel as fruit. He just prated that he did not make Sakura mad enough to become that angry at him. An inaudiable sigh of relief excaped his lips as Sakura turned to him in her usual cheeful self. She took a lobag from his hands and began walking back up the street with Naruto trailing beside her.
Naruto led the way in silence to his apartment so he could put the food up. When he reached When he reached his door he quikckly unlocked it but stopped suddenly and turned to Sakura.
'I can take care of it from here Sakura-chan" Naruto said as he took the bag that she was holding.
"I'll help you put your food up" Sakura said as she quickly grabbed a bag back from Naruto and slipped around Naruto to open the door. When the old door creaked open on it hinges what Sakura was going to say was forgotten as she looked into Naruto's destroyed house. Taking a hestiant step forward Sakura looked around the old apartment to see the disaster. The couch in the living room was overturned and the only window was broke with the glass shattered on the carpet. Looking to the side and into the kitchen Sakura saw an even worse mess. Glass was shattered everywhere from the few plates and cups that Naruto owned. The table had been overturned as had the two chairs around it. But the most shocking thing of all was what was written all over the walls. In bright red paint was written; Demon be gone, die demon, die Nine-tailed fox and other profane words that made Sakura shake in anger.
"Who did this?" Sakura asked as she turned to Naruto with angry eyes. She watched as Naruto looked at his feet with an ashamed expression on his face. When she received silence from Naruto she knew something was definately wrong because there was not one thing that Sakura knew that would stop him from chattering.
"Don't be ashamed Naruto-kun. Who ever did this to you I will track them down and make sure they pay!" Sakura yelled as she pumped her fist in the air for emphasis.
"That's not necessary" Naruto spoke so softly that Sakura had to strain to hear him.
"And why not? No one deserves to be treated this way, especially you" Sakura stated as she looked around the apartment once again.
"It's always been this way, nothing will change it" Naruto said as he lifted his face with a smile that looked forced from Sakura's point of view.
"Anything is possible, right?" Sakura asked cheerfully as she started cleaning up the living room they were currently in.
"I guess but Sakura why are you cleaning?" Naruto asked confusedly as he watched her retreive a dust pan and broom from a closet.
"To clean this mess up of course, why don't you help me and we can get it done sooner?" Sakura said as she started sweeping the shattered glass around the broken window.
Naruto seeing that his apartment was in such a disaster decided that he might as well clean since Sakura was and since she had asked him to. Naruto started on the wall after he retrieved some old rags and soap and began scrubbing the walls and erasing the hidious words. He hoped that Sakura did not see the walls and what was written on them because if she did then she would start asking questions and he wasn't so sure he would give her an truthful answer so that she would start hating him also.
After an hour the living room was as spotless as an old apartment was going to get. They moved on to the next room and the next in companionable silence until the entire apartment was scrubbed and clean. Sakura and Naruto fell back on his couch, breathing heavily and wiping the sweat from their foreheads. Sakura looked out Naruto's still broken window to see that the sun had already set and her parents would be worried if she did not get home soon. But not before she got some answers from the usually exhuberant ninja who she was getting to know a little by little.
"Naruto?" Sakura called softly as she turned her head so she could see him.
"Hmm?"
"Why did those people call you a demon?" Sakura asked as she remembered the writing that had protruded from the white washed walls.
"No reason!" Naruto said so quickly that Sakura knew that he was lying.
"Please Naruto, tell me what they meant by that, please?" Sakura pleaded as she lay her hand over Naruto's and gave a reassuring squeeze.
"I...can't" Naruto said softly thinking that if he did tell her that there was a demon inside of him then she would hate him. He forced himself not to look at her for he knew that her caring demenor would make him crack.
"Why not? Please Naruto...I care about you and...I don't want to see you hurting anymore..." Sakura whispered as she removed her hand from Naruto's and hung her head in defeat.
"I might not know what your going through but...I know about loneliness...I hate it when I know that I am the weakest kunoichi in Konoha...it hurts" Sakura said as a tear escaped her eye and trailed its way down her face until it plopped onto her clenched hands.
"Sakura-chan..." Naruto not being able to look away anymore turned around and took her hands into her own and made eye contact with her as she turned to face him with her eyes watering with unshed tears.
"I have a demon sealed inside of me by the Yodaime...The Nine-tailed fox. Everyone does these things to me because of the demon that almost destroyed Konoha and took Yodaime's life. Everyone who knew that the demon was sealed inside of me ignored me and told their kids not to get around me, and that's why I have no friends." Naruto finished shakily as he looked down in fear and shame that Sakura would turn away from him like everyone else did.
"Naruto I...I never knew" Sakura said softly before surprising herself and pulling Naruto towards her and wrapped her arms around him.
Naruto was in so much shock that his breathing stopped without him even noticing. Inside he was rejoicing that Sakura didn't revolt from him in revolusion or fear. Taking in a deep breathe of much needed air Naruto in turn wrapped his arms around Sakura and buried his face in her silky pink locks.
"Thank you Naruto" Sakura said as she pulled back from Naruto and placed a small kiss on his cheek.
"N-No, Thank you Sakura-chan" Naruto said before he stood up and helped Sakura to her feet.
"I need to be getting home or my parents will get worried" Sakura said as she walked towards the door with Naruto following behind her.
"I'll walk you home" Naruto offered as he followed Sakura out of his apartment and locked it behind him.
"Thanks." With the blood rising to her cheeks Sakura took Naruto's hand into her own and walked in friendly silence until they reached the door to her house. Sakura turned around to tell Naruto goodnight but the words were lost when Naruto kissed her cheek like she had done to him previously.
"Good night Sakura-chan" Naruto said cheekily before turning on his heel and slowly walking back down the street with the most genuine smile he had ever had plastered on his shining face.
"Good night Naruto-kun!" Sakura yelled at Naruto retreating back who threw up his hand in response. Sakura watched his form until he disappeared from sight before turning the knob to her own house and stepping in to be greeted by a furious father.


So what did you guys think? Was it good? I did decide to continue this story because of all the reviews I received and it was a good idea which I gladly expanded on. I can't wait to read your upcoming reviews for this story! Until next time, Ja Ne! Oh and could you guys help me come up with a better title, thanks!