Tale of A Golden Girl

Losers

"Let's be best friends!"

They were both grinning like loons.

"Sure!" Naruto laughed.

"QUIET!"

Akira-sensei sent two pieces of chalk flying, landing smack in the middle of both Obito's and Naruto's foreheads.

The two kids scowled, rubbing indignantly at the red dots blazing across their heads.

A few of their peers laughed at their expense, causing the two new friends to sink down in their seats in embarrassment.

'Some things really don't change.' Kurama sighed, grinning wryly.

Naruto pouted.

At lunch time, Obito and Naruto sat under a familiar tree, next to a lonely swing. Obito didn't have a lunch with him, so, Naruto shared the bento that Sakumo had packed for her with him. She pulled the white box out of her bright green toad backpack with orange polka dots. The Third had nearly given Sakumo a heart attack that morning, showing up at the Hatake compound front door.

The wise kage had brought with him the backpack he'd picked up for Naruto, school supplies, and a bit of pocket money in case the blonde saw something she wanted in town after school.

Sakumo packed Naruto's bento with fried shrimp, sausage, cute square cut omelettes, and sticky rice. Wondering what the second, larger bento box was full of, Naruto opened it. Her face immediately fell, heart dying at the green salad, and ripe baby tomatoes smirking up at her.

Kurama roared with laughter.

"Oooh!" Obito crowed. "You've even got croutons in there!"

Sakumo was even kind enough to pack a little plastic tub of salad dressing, and a packet of pepper.

'Kurama... Shut. up.' Naruto gritted. 'It's not FUNNY!'

Kurama was rolling around in Naruto's mind, nearly in tears as he laughed.

'Part of your soul died just now.' He howled. 'I'm serious, it felt as if part of your soul died!'

With a huff, Naruto slammed the lid back on her salad box, and shoved it into Obito's hands.

"Enjoy." She snarled, confusing her new pal.

The boy just shrugged after a moment of watching Naruto tear into her shrimp, and reopened the salad, taking the plastic fork Naruto handed him with a gentle thanks.

The two kids enjoyed lunch, chatting about this and that. Surprisingly, Naruto didn't find the pointless chatter from Obito annoying, and she even responded with honest excitement.

'When will you get it through your head that you are actually a child?' Kurama spoke up, exasperated. 'You may have a lot of knowledge, but you are still a small child.'

'Oh? Done laughing now are you?' Naruto asked scathingly.

'Come now Naruto, what is it you flesh bags say? "Lighten up"?'

'This is coming from the guy that tried to crush me when we first met?' Naruto retorted flatly.

Instead of answering, Kurama scoffed.

'Yeah,' Naruto said, still speaking in bland tones. 'That's what I thought.'

"Excuse me!"

Naruto looked up, chopsticks sticking out of her mouth and the bottom of her mask. The mask was black, and wasn't attached to the shirt she was wearing, which was olive green. Her pants and sandals were black as well.