Tracing The Veins (Naruto fanfic AU)

5- We Hide When We Aren't Supposed To

~Chapter 5~

"Thanks for showing me around the village." Naruto grinned at Sakura. The sky was slowly being swept through by a shade of yellow, and hues of cotton pink could be spotted in some parts where the clouds were especially light and fluffy. Fading, yet still vibrant blue left its presence be known around the whole village by spreading between the absent spots surrounding the other colors. All in all, the sky looked absolutely magnificent.

Yet somehow empty.

The sun was in hiding and the celestial dome didn't quite feel right to Naruto. It looked fake, surreal.

Naruto was brought out of his thoughts when Sakura replied by handing him a recent released version of Konohagakure's map, "No problem, I'm just sorry that we didn't bump into your uncle. You should've asked him for his cellphone number. We could've at least called him then."

Naruto shrugged, tearing his gaze away from the above and unto Sakura's, "I'm pretty sure he doesn't have a cell phone yet." Naruto muttered, but agreed with Sakura nonetheless. Waving at her disappearing figure while thanking her for her company, he stood with his new map, fingering the keys to his new home inside his pocket. Tracing the route on the paper from his current position to his new destination, he sighed and started the long trek home.

_

Back inside his house, Naruto was relieved to find it still empty when he turned on the lights, illuminating the narrow hall. So, his uncle hadn't arrived before him?

"Naruto Uzumaki."

Or so he thought.

Naruto turned on the balls of his feet and faced his uncle with a sheepish grin, caught red handed, "Heyyy, Jiraiya." Naruto spoke as relaxed as possible underneath his uncle's stare.

Jiraiya looked at his own nephew with narrowed eyes. His fists were clenched on his waist which was now suited with sweat pants. His suit was simply discarded on the floor behind him haphazardly and sweat coated his forehead which still held that annoying headband. "Where have you been this whole time?" He spoke, his words seeming to reverberate in the small compasses of the hallway.

Naruto, not comprehending how much trouble he was in for, chuckled lightly, "Out."

"Don't do that ever again." Jiraiya said, no room for disagreement. The room atmosphere seemed to dramatically drop into a chill.

Naruto stared at his uncle with confusion, his eyes lowered and then raised defiantly, "Why not? I did it all the time in Canada. You never seemed to care back then."

Jiraiya said with a slight urgent tone, "Don't you get it Naruto? This isn't Canada anymore! You can't just walk around without someone to protect you!"

"Protect me?" Naruto said, bewildered, "I'm not a kid anymore, I can protect myself."

"I know you can, but it's different here. You need to understand that."

Scoffing, Naruto sent his uncle a dull look, "Understand what? That I've now officially turned back into a six year old?"

"Well, you're certainly acting like one right now."

"You asked for it!"

"I asked for no such thing. I asked for you to not go out alone in the streets again. That is what I remember asking you." Jiraiya smirked pointedly at Naruto, making his nephew boil.

Naruto knew that he could end this conversation if he agreed to his uncle's proposition, but he wouldn't back down if his uncle didn't, "Oh, and you suppose I would just willingly agree to that?"

"Yes!" Jiraiya lifted his arms up in exasperation, and then let them drop to his side. Both men glared at each other, none backing down from the threat growing in the middle of their gaze. If one had looked closely, they might've been able to see a slight spark where Naruto's gaze and Jiraiya's own met, unmoving, calculating, stubborn.

"You thought wrong." Naruto muttered, not even his pupil twitched.

"Naruto." Jiraiya nearly growled at his own nephew, but caught himself, "Do this for me."

More sparks of defiance grew, but eventually, one would have to trip. It was obvious who it would be. It was the result of the adults' superiority over their children. Though he knew he would regret it later, Naruto lowered his gaze to his feet which was slightly curled inwards into himself. With a twitch, Naruto bit out a harsh, "Fine." His hands fisted at his sides, and then as if totally letting go of his previous frustrations, his fingers fell loosely apart and his hand hung feebly.

"Great!" Jiraiya spoke, turning away from his nephew with a smile. Naruto's uncle deemed the conversation over and done, but to Naruto, this conversation would be one of his many bitter memories, and these memories would build and create something sour in his mind which would result as something else altogether.

But as for now? Naruto swallowed the lump down his throat and with an undetectable layer in his voice, called out to his uncle, asking what they were having for dinner.

"We're having dumplings, that okay? Oh, and Naruto... When'd you get your hair cut?"

_____________________

I know, I know. I'm a lazy little butt and I shouldn't be bondoogling, scritching at nothing on my supposed homework. (Bondoogle is now my favourite word btw. It just sounds so unique!) But I can't help it! Procrastination, though isn't in my gene, is definitely something me and my siblings all have.

Oh, and sorry for the impossibly short chapter. This little bit was especially important and to add it into the previous chapter would go against my whole mindset. Maybe later on, I'll think about morphing the two into one whole chapter, but for now, I think I'll leave it like this. To make it longer, I've gone through this chapter more than a few times and have added some (un)needed... hints, should I say? Or a prominition to the follow-up of my plot.

Most of the 'hints' are obvious sadly... *cries*

Comment your thoughts! Don't care if you vote or not, but that would make me happy! Reading my story at all makes me an extremely giddy girl.

Other than my constantly long A/N, thanks for reading~

xoxo, Sam

Side music is Better In Time by Leona Lewis.

(If the song isn't uploaded yet, its because I don't currently have my computer and (I) am uploading this chapter on my phone app)

http://youtu.be/s-KL32xavvA