8(A/N) Well here you go folks. Third Chapter. Oh yeah, quick question, should I merge the first two chapters together? I feel like people generally like longer chapters...Well, I guess I'm making this chapter longer.
Well anyways, enjoy the story!
THUD! THUD! THUD!
That sound disturbed the young blonde's sleep, causing him to wake up. His eyes adjusted themselves as rays of sunlight were pouring through the window on his side.
He sat up and looked around, intent on figuring out where he is. He was in a room, like a cabin, the walls held nothing of importance but he could see just one frame of picture hanging on the wall opposite of him. He couldn't see who or what was in the picture but he could tell it was quite valuable the way the picture was hanged. He also noticed that at the side of his bed was a small table with a small bowl of water and towel draping over it.
He finds a desk and a simple chair at the corner of the room. The desk empty apart from a few books and an unlit candle. And a small bookshelf at the other corner of the room became a place to keep other objects other than books and a huge wardrobe was placed right beside the desk. To keep clothes, one would say.
Apart from all those things, the room was quite barren, and unkempt, perhaps a guest room?
THUD! THUD! THUD!
Naruto's attention finally went towards the sound, as he tried to figure out what it was that woke him up.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
His eyes peered through the small window as he noticed a figure weaving an axe to chop wood.
'Who is he?', Naruto wondered.
He then proceeded to take his rough yet warm blanket from his body and begins to walk towards the door, seeking for answers. Naruto was wearing a simple white shirt with brown trousers, he noticed.
He opened the door to see a similar style of room used as a living room but he continued walking, intent on finding out where he was. He wasn't sure if he was in Konoha, as he didn't see any indication pointing so.
'Outside the village? But how? Last time I was...'
'I was at the apartment...', remembered Naruto grimly.
His mind finally remembering the events following that day, how he had failed miserably and it didn't do him any good as one of the proctors of the exam was Iruka Sensei himself.
Apparently he agreed with the other proctors that Naruto was deemed a failure as a genin.
'Stupid jutsu.'
The bunshin had always been Naruto's weakness, he never understood why he could never do it while the other kids had always succeeded. It was the same reason that plagued him for years. The reason he could never pass.
Naruto sighs in defeat as he opened the door leading outside and he was immediately greeted by a cool and gentle breeze, a beautiful sight as he could see acres of plants and trees.. wait is that an apple tree?
His stomach rumbled in response, as hunger fills the young boy's mind.
Despite his hunger, Naruto continued walking up to a small clearing at the side of the house where piles of wood and chopped wood covered the ground.
"Ah I see you've woken up."
Naruto looked up to see a man with a bald head and thick beard wearing a brown leather jacket with a white t-shirt beneath and a simple black trouser, accompanied with a pair of boots.
"So how are you doing? Everything fine?"
"Yes, I'm okay, just feeling a little hungry.. Hehe", Naruto replied embarassingly.
With a laugh the man answered, "We'll fix that, come on follow me."
Naruto waited eagerly at the dinner table as the man prepared breakfast for him.
"Here, eat up." The man said before giving the young boy his breakfast.
Naruto grinned as he stuffed his face with the food and replied, "Dthis h'is good!"
"Glad you like it son"
Naruto proceeded to continue eating to fulfill his hunger. The man went back to the kitchen, presumably to wash the dishes.
Soon after Naruto finished his breakfast with a resounding burp as an appreciation for the good food.
"So, mind telling me how you ended up at the edge of the Black Forest? That place is dangerous kid. Even for mages." , said the man finally appearing from the kitchen.
'The Black Forest? Where is that?', Naruto wondered.
"You should be thankful that my daughter noticed you. You were just sleeping peacefully as if you decided it was as good a place like a bed to rest for the night.", continued the man.
"So, what is a little boy like yourself doing there?", questioned the man.
The man looked at the boy, waiting for an answer. The blonde thought awhile before finally responding, "I don't know."
"I was just at my apartment and then I woke up here?", replied Naruto in a nervous tone.
The man noticing the boy's discomfort stopped eyeing the boy and instead said, "Well just be glad that my daughter found you before it got too dark."
"Who is she?", asked Naruto.
As if on cue, the front door opened up and a black-haired girl, a few years younger than Naruto walked in. She is wearing a white dress along with a white headband and a white ribbon was tied to the middle, pointing straight up, like a bunny.
"Otou-san I brought you-", she paused as she noticed the second presence that was not his father.
"Yay, foxy-kun is awake!", she declares gleefully.
"What!? Foxy-kun? Why are you calling me-", Naruto paused as he thought to himself, 'Oh right, the whiskers.'
"Haha, come here Kagura, greet him properly, this is -", the man hesitated as he didn't know they young boy's name yet.
Naruto noticed this and replied cheerfully, "Ohh, uhhh I'm Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki!"
"Okay Naruto, this is Kagura, and Kagura this is Naruto.", answered the man.
"My name is Kagura Mikazuchi, nice to meet you.", her head bowed down in respect.
Naruto bowed back and the man continued, "My name's Ryuuji. Ryuuji Mikazuchi."
"Thank you for taking care of me Ryuuji-san." , Naruto answered bowing down.
"No worries kid, anyone would have done the same."
"Kagura go and play with Naruto while I take care of this.", Ryuuji said holding a pair of bags containing what seems like groceries.
"Okay! Let's go Naruto-kun.", answered Kagura as she hastily took Naruto's arm and practically dragged his arm outside.
"A-ah wait!", Naruto said in distress as he stumbled upon things in the process of following Kagura.
Ryuuji smiled at this sight and sighed as he thought again how he brought in the kid. He had quite a fever and was mumbling a lot in his sleep.
'Something about monsters. Did he went inside the forest?', Ryuuji
(Outside with Naruto)
"So where are you taking me to?", Naruto asked Kagura.
They were both walking uphill a few distance away from the cabin.
"Wait and see!", Kagura replied in joy. Kagura felt very happy that Naruto was fine. She was quite afraid when she found the blonde sleeping near the evil forest, and she immediately went to her father and he was brought in.
She never had a close friend, all the other kids are older than her and not much wants to talk to her apart when they needed to. They were busy with their own things and family, and Kagura felt quite lonely with only her father to talk to.
Naruto walked alongside her, happy that she seemed full of joy, a feeling he has quite forgotten. Naruto sighs and stares blankly as he thinks back to what the Kyuubi told him..
(Flashback)
"YOU HAVE THE KYUUBI, BOY!", the kyuubi roars.
His vision changes, "YOU MONSTER! STAY AWAY!", the villagers exclaimed in anger.
"Mommy, why is he crying?" , a little boy asked his mother. His mother hushed him and whispered, "Just leave him and stay away from him.", as she dragged the boy with her, leaving the blonde alone in the park as the evening passed.
(Flashback End)
A tear fell from his eye, but he rubbed it off just as fast as it has formed. He had promised himself earlier that he won't cry again, he won't break down now.
'Maybe I can live here?', Naruto wondered. 'But where is this place? I've never heard of the Black Forest.', Naruto continued.
"Hey, where is this place again?", Naruto asked, trying to understand where he was.
"I told you, you'll see!", Kagura replies in slight annoyance.
"No, I mean where are we? What village is this?"
"Oh, you didn't know that? We're in Rosemary Village."
The village was full of trees and overgrown bushes and plants growing around the houses, making the air very nice and cool. There were some farms that operate to provide food for the villagers along with a market in the center of the village.
Kagura's and Ryuuji's house was a distance away from the village, as their house was between Rosemary village and the Black Forest.
"Is that in Hi No Kuni (Land of Fire) ? I've never heard that village before.", Naruto said turning her face to her.
"What? No, we're in Fiore. In Earthland!", Kagura exclaimed, remembering the lessons her father taught her.
'Earthland? Whaa-at?', Naruto thought in confusion.
"Here we are!"
As the duo arrived, Naruto's confusion disappeared. It was replaced by awe.
"Wow, this place is amazing! You can see everything from here!", Naruto said.
From where the two were standing, they could see the whole village and the house from atop this plain hill. They could see the mountains and forest surrounding the small village and you could see that the sun was rising brightly. Basking them with sunlight.
Naruto took in the view in stride, but got reminded of Konoha, where one could see a similar sight.
(Flashback)
Naruto watches in silence, as he hugged his legs staring at the sun setting down. Signalling a day's end as he looked down at the villagers walking about, minding their business. Parents telling their children to come in. The market closing for the day. And lights are being emitted everywhere like fireflies.
'It's beautiful.', despite everything he has faced, Naruto still managed to see the positive in things. Even for the village who had given him nothing but pain.
(Flashback End)
Naruto sighed but suddenly breathed in the air in a forceful manner, as if afraid that the air will disappear and the scene will vanish. Like a dream.
But it didn't. He was still there. The birds were chirping and the sounds of animals surrounding the air were still heard by the boy's ear. And he loved it.
"Thank You Kagura..", Naruto whispered quietly.
Another tear fell from his eyes, but it was a tear of joy, one Naruto rarely experienced.
'I wonder if I can stay here? A new start? A new.. life?'
(A/N) Okay, It's not 5k words. But I just wanted to get this out quickly and I want to know what you guys think. Is my writing bad? This is my first time planning to write a fic this long.
Thanks for reading, and remember reviews are awesome!