ENTROPY [Naruto]

Act I • Chapter 15

Yakiniku Q? Naomi, along with her new team entered the shop bustling with hungry costumers. All five of them sat down as Gai handled the orders.

"Seriously? A diner?" Tenten raised a brow. The server came to their table and placed the food they had ordered. Gai grinned and held his thumb up. "The perfect place to bond and form relationships!"

"A place with a good amount of people, not too tense, but not too moderate." Naomi mused verbally. "Gai-sensei have a great perspective."

"Wah!! As expected of Gai-sensei!!!"

"Lower your voice, dumbass. You're disturbing other people."

Might Gai smiled ever so brightly as he grab his cup of beverage and brought it up. "Today, we welcome Uzumaki Naomi as part of Team Gai, as well as celebrate her graduation from the academy!" The four genin attended the Jonin's every word with exhilaration. Even the cold and stoic Neji. "Let us work together as a team and treat each other like family." Gai turned to the blonde, cup still raised. "I as your new mentor will guide all of you until you become strong ninjas. Until then, we'll be in each other's care, Naomi. Cheers!"

Tenten, Lee, and Neji raised their own cups. The expressions that they wore were different yet all feelings alike. They all looked at Naomi who was speechless from the message. She seemed to appear perplexed for a while before imitating their actions and putting on a well-trained smile. Everyone's cup clinked together before they sip into it with a jovial mood. "Cheers!"

Naomi stiffly sips. "..cheers,"

"Man, I wish Kakashi-sensei treated us to some food too 'ttebayo." Naruto slumped his body  and he leaned his head towards his sister's shoulders with a sigh. Naomi patted his head gently, "Is Naruto gonna be sleeping in Naomi's bed tonight as well? Do you want her to sing you a song?"

"Mhm, I want to listen to Ami's voice forever!.."

"Alright then," The siblings moved to lay their backs onto the bed. Naruto, as usual, hugged his sister tight while the latter laid still. The moon shone, bright enough to light the dark lit room. Naomi started humming a tune before singing fully along with the rustle of trees and wind outside.

"Goodnight, sis.."

Naomi's blank face stared at the ceiling of their bedroom. When she felt Naruto's breathing evened, indicating that the boy was sound asleep, her mind briefly went back to how her new mentor and team-mates had treated her  kindly. So kind that she had doubted their genuine gestures for a moment. She was ashamed for even thinking that they were being fake, but her mind subconsciously did so,  after all the misfortune and negativity life had thrown at her.

"Sleep tight, Naruto."

That evening, she surmised that she was indeed a toxic person.

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"Excellent work as always, Zaragoza. It is a good thing your genin team had gone back from a mission the same time as those suspicious figures were lurking at the border of Konoha." Danzo grinned and nod, obviously pleased. He leaned his back to his throne-like chair. "It seems that.. letting you have an outside life benefited ROOT in many ways."

"I am a ninja of Konoha. It is my job to keep the village safe at all costs, ROOT or not." Danzo heard the girl mutter behind her mask. "Yes, of course. That is the ultimate goal of this organization after all." The old man paused as he glanced sternly at the masked team-captain who had her head facing the floor out of respect. "Howbeit it seems as though your objective is being shaken little by little by some distractions. Now, I'm having second thoughts of wether to..."