Hey, Hi, Hello. Here's chapter 5. Enjoy, please, and don't forget to fan/comment/vote!
DISCLAIMER- I don't own Naruto. That honor belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.
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When I make it back to my 4th floor apartment, I'm exhausted. I had been told I could take up residence in my clan's housing district, but the memories were too much and I turned the offer down. I still had to take care of the grounds, though. Which, by the way, I'd be enlisting my new team to help me do this weekend. Or whenever we had a day off.
When I step back in the door, I slip my shoes off without so much as glancing towards the kitchen. I was in no mood to eat or drink anything. I did turn the stove off before I left, meaning I didn't have to worry about it. However, I would have a small pot of water to deal with when I got up in the morning. That thought didn't bother me much.
I switch into a pair of black short shorts and a black tank top. I pretty much collapse onto my twin bed. My bedroom was tiny, as was my entire apartment. My bed sat against the left wall, a desk against the right. A closet door was a foot to the left of the desk. A large window took up a portion of the back wall, revealing a view of the Hokage mountain.
My sleep is plagued with senseless nightmares. I remember every inch of them- the screaming, the stench of burning flesh, the bodies scattered across a large field stained with blood. The weird thing was that I had never experienced anything like it. I'd know if I had.
After a night of little sleep, I rise to the beeping of my alarm clock. I allow myself to make one upset face at the ceiling before rolling out of the bed. I carefully make it before leaving- I was a neat freak. Before all the events that occured, I would have paused to put my slippers and favorite silk robe on. But now, after everything, I didn't even bother returning to my house to recieve any of my personal belongings. All of the things I had now- the clothes, the furniture, literally everything, I had purchased myself or had recieved from some well-wishers who'd heard about the massacre of my clan.
I walk quietly to my kitchen. I pour the water from the pot into the sink and rinse it out, filling it up again with water and setting it on the stove. I flick the switch for the burner on and leave the water to boil. I head to my bathroom to bathe. I took showers once daily.
I twist and turn the shower's knobs until the water reaches a comfortable temperature. I take my clothes off, barely stopping to toss them into the small wicker hamper sitting afainst the well before stepping into the gentle spray of warm water.
I shower quickly, going through my normal routine. Wet hair. Grab shampoo bottle, pull open cap, squeeze into hand. Lather, rinse, close cap. Take bottle of conditioner, tug open cap, upturn, pou carefully into hand so it doesn't spill and go to waste. Lather, rinse, close cap. Time to wash body- pull loofah off of the small hook it rested on when it wasn't in use. Hold in one hand while reaching for the bottle of body wash without looking (I never missed). Open yet another cap, and breathe in the comforting scent of lemons emanating from the bottle whilst upturning bottle over loofah and pour a generous amount on it. Close cap, set aside, then scrub every inch of skin until it's a bright pink. Shave where neccesary, completely rinse body, turn off water, step out of shower, grab towel, dry body, done.
It was a relatively easy process, but one that wasn't very interesting. Unlike most people, I didn't derive any thinking time from the process. It was simply that to me- a process.
I get dressed in my normal, everyday clothes. When I get back to the stove, the water is boiling away. I pour a packet of ramen into the pot. I grab a plastic bowl and cup from the cabinet- I didn't have a lot of dishes, but what I did have was cheap, easily breakable plastic- and a fork from the silverware drawer. I eat quickly, glancing up at the clock- it was 6:45 in the morning, and I had about an hour left before I needed to leave to Hokage tower to make it on time.
So I decided to re-organize my tool kit. I needed to take inventory of my items, and determine if it was necessary for me to purchase any new equipment. I hoped I didn't. I wouldn't inherit my clan's fortune until I turned sixteen, and besides a check courtesy of the Hokage, I had no money coming in. The check was only barely covering for what I had to pay for now, and there wasn't much extra money for me to use on any luxuries. Though, I'd likely be earning some extra from completing missions. I knew it wouldntt be much, but something was better than nothing.
Safe to say, a small weight was taken off of my back when I searched my items and confirmed that I had everything I needed and nothing needed to be replaced. However, that task took up a measly 30 minutes and I still had an hour to burn before departing. I use that thirty minutes to look through my apartment and straighten it up, even though it was already spotless. While the task was certainly not enjoyable, it helped take my mind off of some of my problems, and consumed some time. Once I had swept through my entire apartment all of three times, it was finally the perfect time for my departure to the Hokage tower to meet up with my team.
When I get there, Sasuke's already waiting. Naruto arrives shortly after, and we wait for Kakashi-sensei to show up. Naruto babbles away to me, and I'm very grateful for the minimal distraction. Even though I become occupied, I still note everything around me- Sasuke's near silent sighs of frustration, the way the wind blew through the trees, people talking, the faces of everyone who either entered or exited the Hokage tower.
When Naruto talks to me, I pay attention. I nod when appropriate and listen attentively. I can tell Naruto feels gratitude towards me, for the reason I was kind to him and actually listened. He goes on about his favorite types of ramen and his favorite place to eat, Ichiraku's. He discusses his thoughts of Kakashi-sensei and how he dreams of becoming Hokage. He does ask me a few questions about myself, and, as I'm not very comfortable talking at all, give as little detail as possible, but still answer the questions. He keeps up the talking for nearly an hour, at which point Kakashi-sensei has yet to arrive.
He does eventually stop, though, when the girl he had an intense crush on, Sakura, passes by us. He attempts to talk to her, but she only gives him a passing insult before going googly-eyed fangirl on poor Sasuke (don't get me wrong- I don't feel bad for him). Naruto looks depressed and sulks on a nearby bench. I observe with growing humor as Sasuke deflects her advances, which were getting more and more desperate.
After about five minutes of this, I allow a small smile to slip onto my face. I was trying to become more open with my emotions, but it was definitely hard for me. My smile slides right off of my face when, from behind, a voice says, "Oh, you're smiling?"
My posture stiffens immediately as I realize who it is.
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Not edited, at all. Sorry): Enjoy the chapter anyway, yeah?
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