Naruto: A Different Life

Chapter 12: A Peace-treaty of Fried Rice.

If Naruto was to describe the next two days in a word it would be unsettling. Then two Leaf ninja were with them twenty-four seven; grocery shopping, clothes shopping, visiting the park, and the book store were Naruto got a few books, a new dictionary and a thesaurus. Any conversations that were held were very short and awkward. Not to mention Kat kept throwing the ninja threatening glares whenever they got to close to Naruto.

The one with the spiky silver hair (Naruto learned his name was Kakashi after about a day) would glance at him whenever he thought the boy wasn't looking. Kakashi's eyes were filled with an emotion Naruto couldn't describe even with his growing vocabulary. Weariness? Confusion? Pain? The last seemed to be the closest that he could come up with.

The tenseness between the two pairs went on until Itachi (the other one obviously) broke the silence. Kat and Kakashi had to see the Kazekage to get an update of the situation, leaving the blonde and the Uchiha alone at the house. Before Kat had left she dropped some not-so-subtly veiled threats involving bodily harm and wolves eating there entrails for brunch... Sometimes she really scares him.

After she left (grudgingly) Naruto and Itachi sat reading in the living room with a suffocating silence hanging over them. The ninja academy had let out about two hours ago and Naruto had already finished his homework. Only two days in and he was already in the top five of his class.

Naruto flipped a page of the book he was reading and scanned the words, trying to etch them in his memory. Etch, carve, inscribe, engrave... All were words he had learned from the thesaurus that he bought yesterday. He knew his vocabulary was growing at a startling (surprising, shocking, astonishing, ect.) rate. After about ten minutes Itachi 'hn-ed'.

"Naruto," he called softly, making the boy jump, "what are you reading?"

"Frankenstein by Mary Shelley." He answered back quietly. It was one of the other books that Kat had bought him along with Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, and the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan.

Itachi eyebrow rose slightly at the title. "What do you think so far? It is a wonderful book, but a rather difficult read."

"Well..." Naruto trailed off in a considerate manner. "You are right that it is a difficult read. I often have to look up the words I don't know but the story itself is interesting. Shelley seems commenting on the dual nature of man throughout the book. Frankenstein spent forever creating the monster only to abandon it when the nature of what he had done came into focus. He rejected the creature he was responsible for which led it to do the terrible things it had done. In a way Frankenstein is the one doing the killing by his own hand. I cannot wait to finish it." Naruto ended lamely after his rant ran its course.

Itachi studied him and smiled slightly, "When you finish I request that you tell me more of your thoughts over the novel."

"Kay," Naruto said with a smile. For the next hour they discussed what has happened so far in the book up until the (This is a spoiler to those who are reading it or will read it. You have been warned) death of Clerval. Itachi also recommended some more of his favorites to the kid.

"You know I have a brother your age. He recently read the Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer and enjoyed them greatly." The older ninja said with smile.

"Really? I'll add those to my list as well. What is his name?"

"His name is Sasuke. If you ever visit the Leaf I will introduce you to him." Itachi said thoughtfully.

"If I ever visit the Leaf? Does that mean you think I will be able to stay here?" The blonde asked with a serious tone.

The ANBU shrugged. "You seem to enjoy this village more than the Leafs. The final decision isn't up to us. It depends on what the two Kages settle on."