-NARUTO'S DREAM-
The smaller Naruto was sitting on a branch near the playground. He looks at the children with sad eyes. He can never go out there like they do. The boy shook his head lightly, then go to a clearing not so far from the village but no one seem to go there. He usually goes here to watch the sunset.
Shikamaru was lying on the ground, watching the cloud. His eyes wandered and finally stop at the figure wearing ANBU uniform sitting on the branch above him. The ANBU seems not noticing him, or he just plainly ignores the lazy kid. Shikamaru called out.
"Oi. Wanna come down lay with me? It must be hurt, leaning to that tree."
The young ANBU looked at him strangely.
"You come down or not? It's not like I'm gonna bite you or something."
The lazy kid called out again, impatient.
Naruto sighed quietly; jump down next to the other boy.
They lay in silence for a while, then Shikamaru turn to look at the blonde.
"The name's Shikamaru. What's your?"
Naruto eyes widened a bit. Not many had asked his name before.
"..." - he mumbled.
"What? Can't hear you."
He looks at the brown-hair boy again, slowly take off his mask.
"My name's Naruto."
Shikamaru eyed the blonde next to him. The boy was... beautiful. Just like an angle.
"Why did you take off your mask? You can talk with the mask on".
"I don't... usually talk when I wear my mask."
"You know, you really look like a boy my father always tells me about."
Naruto jerk up a bit. He knows what the adults say about him. The demon brat, worthless piece of trash...
"W-What did he say?"
"Why care so sudden? He said the boy was a genius and even beat him in shogi. Then the boy mysteriously disappeared three years ago. My dad was very sad. I want to meet him one, too."
"He was... sad? There's other... sad because my disappearing?" - The blonde murmured, not noticing the other boy heard him.
"So, you're really him, huh? Why did you look so surprised when someone was sad? It's normal."
"Not for me. I have... Kyuubi... sealed in me. Villagers hate me. They hate me for something I didn't do..."
Naruto said quietly.
"Kyuubi? You just said Kyuubi? So the Forth didn't kill it, but sealed it in you instead."
Shikamaru, as a genius he is, easily figured it all out. Naruto looked at him in surprised.
"You... don't hate me?"
"It's too troublesome. Moreover, why should I hate you just because you have the fox inside you?"
Tears formed in the blonde's eyes.
"Oi don't cry now. Tch, you're troublesome."
"I'm sorry. Hey, you said you're Shikamaru?"
"Yes?"
"You wanna join ANBU? I heard you're a genius. I'm working alone now and that is hard."
"That... is too troublesome. So, no."
