Breath - Team 8 x Reader

Chapter 3 - Training Daze

Your (e/c) eyes shot open to the loud, abrupt sound of someone knocking on your front door.
You lived by yourself, in a small studio apartment that you paid for with all the money your parents had given you the day a terrible sickness plagued your village. They had sent you away the second they caught it, before the contagious stage, so that you would survive. Your supply was quickly running out, so it was good timing that you became a ninja when you did. You could start earning some money of your own from missions to pay the rent.
For now, you currently wanted to ask whoever was banging on your door what bills they pay to be pounding on your door like that and waking you up at seven in the morning on a Saturday?!
You yanked open the door and were ready to tear their head off, stopping yourself when you realized it was...Naruto? He looked quite flustered, to say the least. "Naruto? What are you doing up so early on the weekend? And why are you here?"

"No time to explain, (y/n)! You gotta hide me, quick!"

"What do you--mmph!" Naruto had barged his way in, covered your mouth and slammed the door shut. He sat on the floor with his back against the front door, still holding his hand over your mouth while you struggled and made muffled noises of irritation.

"Shhh! You're gonna give me away!" He put his ear to the door, seeming to be listening for something.

Seeing no other option, you bit his hand, making him cry out and yank it away. "What the heck, (y/n)?! That hurt!"

"Then you shouldn't have been banging on my door and forced your way in here in the first place!" You whisper-yelled, jabbing a finger into his chest. "How did you even know where I live? What the hell is going on, Naruto?! What are you hiding from?!"

"Shhh! Here she comes! Get down!" He pulled you down with him to lay on the floor, trying to avoid whoever was out there.

You heard some grumbling and heavy footsteps go past your door, then heard another door being punched or kicked in not too far down from you.

"I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE, YOU LITTLE RAT! I'M GONNA MAKE YOU REGRET WHAT YOU DID!!!"

Is that...Sakura? I've never heard her this angry before...what the hell did you do, Naruto?

"Hee-hee! I knew she'd go looking in there for me! That's why I had the bright idea to hide out at your place! She'd never suspect it!" Naruto laughed victoriously, and a bit loudly.

"It won't take her very long to find you if you don't quiet down." You warned him. "I forgot you and I live in the same complex...anyway, what did you do to make her so pissed at you?"

"Oh. Umm..." He rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "See, I wanted to practice my transformation jutsu some more, so I turned into Sasuke, and then Sakura actually thought I was him, and we...kissed...but then my jutsu wore off in the middle of it, and she saw it was really me and got really mad, and now she wants to freaking kill me!" He covered his reddened face with his hands.

"Oh. I see..." You could understand Sakura's rage now, but at the same time, you felt kind of bad for Naruto. He liked Sakura so much, but she never wants anything to do with him because she's always too busy chasing after Sasuke. "Naruto, why do you feel like you have to be someone else to get Sakura to like you? Why can't you just be yourself?"

"Because she hates me! She wants nothing to do with me! It's always Sasuke this and Sasuke that, so, I figured if I turned into him, then...maybe she'd notice me for once...she'd never like the real me. I don't think anyone does, or ever will..."

You felt both saddened and shocked at the same time. Sad to see him so sad and trying so hard to win the affections of a girl that wanted nothing to do with him, and surprised that he was opening up this much to you. You'd never seen this vulnerable side to him before, but you didn't mind it. Part of you was happy that he felt comfortable enough to share this with you, unintentionally or not. "Naruto...I appreciate you opening up to me like this, despite the circumstances. But, I want you to know that you're an amazing friend, and you're awesome, just the way you are. You don't have to try to be anyone else. Just keep being your hyperactive, knucklehead ninja self. Because the people who really matter, won't mind the real you."