Naruto's Mask (Shikanaru Fanfiction)

5.

Shikamaru sat down in his unassigned assigned seat in Iruka Sensei's class this fine Monday morning, ready for another day filled with sleeping and then being rudely awoken by a piece of chalk being thrown at his head and question with an obvious answer.

"Mornin', Shikamaru!" Choji sat down beside him, like always. Today he was eating a bag of potato chips, which seems to be a house favourite for the Akamichis. "Hey," He meekly replied, already over this conversation. Behind him, he was listening to Sakura talk with a bunch of classmates. "Yeah! I heard that he even liked it! I knew Naruto wasn't straight the day I met him!" ... What. "Shikamaru has never moved as fast as he did when he whipped his head around to Sakura and her new posey spreading rumours about their recently missing classmate. He said it out loud, "What." and some random girl speaks up "You didn't hear? Our sensei from our first year at the academy beat Naruto up a month ago and apparently he begged her to hook her up with some of her men. And he enjoyed it!" "That's what I heard too!" Exclaimed Sakura, "My mom says that he's not coming around school anymore because he preferred to get it from them all day. Imagine being that low?"

The second that banshee opened her mouth he was over it. Shikamaru saw Naruto literally, what? Two nights ago? and he was most definitely not with their old sensei and a bunch of men. Who even starts a rumour like that? He's with the Hokage. You would think they would understand to respect the decision of their village leadership cause there's clearly a reason for him missing school until further notice. Shikamaru took too long piecing together what he wanted to say, since the second he went to open his mouth to let them know that this was most definitely not the case, Iruka heard the conversation.

"GIRLS." Uh oh, he's using his talk no jutsu again. "you will see me after class. You should Know it's not okay to talk about your classmates like that. Naruto is helping out Lord Hokage with some things, he will be back soon." And dropped the topic by turning around and starting their lesson for the day on the blackboard. Scary. But this means that Naruto was telling the truth? But still, what the heck would Naruto be doing to help the Hokage of all people. And those rumours. As discussing as they are, they had to have started somewhere right? How did this one even begin? Troublesome. As he's filtering the noises of the classroom out, he starts to dose off into his morning learning block nap, thinking about Naruto.

Meanwhile, Naruto is packing up his hospital room, because he's finally been cleared to go live back at his apartment again. He had one last inpatient therapy session this morning and Inoichi decided to give in to Naruto's pestering about moving back home. Before he leaves, Naruto sits on the bed one more time to meditate.

"Hiya Kurama!!" "Would you be quiet, brat? I'm trying to sleep here." Naruto, with his hands on his hips giving Kurama the 'up and down' look, quizzically states "it's literally noon? Might want to work on those sleeping habits"  before he walks up to the one tail that Kurama brought out for him to lay on. Since the discovery of Kurama, Naruto finally understood why people were so mean to him. They were afraid of Kurama, and took it out on him. They've spent a very long time in the last few weeks getting to know each other and bond over their feelings of being an outcast, called a monster, and stripped of family for the greater good of their people. Sometimes, not much needed to be said. Naruto will just lay down on Kurama's tail, pays, or head and bask in each other's presence.

After a few minutes, Naruto  speaks first. "You know, I wish you were able to be with me all the time, and not just when I'm able to wind down to find you."  "Kit, you know we're in your mind, right?  You unlocked the doors enough for me to be able to communicate with you properly. My words are no different than your thoughts. I even see through your eyes when I want to. Just think it and I will respond..... Maybe. Probably not. You're annoying." "Hey!" And then they sit in silence for a few breaths before "Thank you, Kurama." And they both bask in each other's presence with content smiles on their faces.

Naruto has his bag all packed to leave! He's thinking Kurama's ears off with his new found hack to a constant companion, talking about mundane things and he started to run home.

Ouch!

Naruto is knocked to the ground by running into someone. He scrambles up , anxious to find out who he ran into, already starting his massive apology completely bowing and getting ready to bolt after, when all of a sudden,

"Naruto?"