AFTER DARK | naruto

3 | a warm welcome to the academy

A month had passed since Naruto's fight with Sasuke, the two of you had grown closer - and you managed to get yourself into the academy. Thanks to the help of Minato and Kushina - who led you back to the Hokage's office. You couldn't say you were a big fan of the third Hokage, but the first step of being in a village was to honor your Kage, you supposed.

Although you were keen on the idea at first, you found yourself nervous a week before your first day.

"Those people of the academy are cocky, that's all! But, well. You're a year above me so I have no idea about those people." Naruto tried his best to reassure you - he invited you out to eat at his favorite ramen place. As much as you appreciated the sentiment, it didn't do much to ease your nerves.

"Maybe they're even lamer than Sasuke!" He laughed, saying they were lamer than Sasuke and didn't do much, according to Sakura, he was a very cool guy. You only interacted him with a few times as a result of sticking around Naruto, but he seemed far from lame - seeing as he was deemed a prodigy from a strong clan.

You sighed, playing with your chopsticks - circling a single one around your bowl.

"And besides, who wouldn't want to befriend you?" he forced more ramen into his mouth. "I mean, you're super cool, and seeing ghosts is bound to attract attention!" He said that all with a mouth full of food. "Only a bunch of idiots, really! I mean, my class is full of them!"

You processed his compliment before you finally began to eat your own food. Maybe he was right - maybe they would think you were cool. Or maybe they were horrendous bullies that hated people from other villages. You forced the food down your thrown as you rested your hands on both sides of your bowl.

"I think you're the only one that thinks I'm cool." You admitted, head hung low in defeat.

"No..!" He immediately blurted before being hummed. "Well, actually, you might be right.." He corrected. "But hey, you're the only one that talks to me, but that's enough for me!" He smiled.

You side-eyed him before smiling. "You're right... That's enough for me, too."

He giggled, messing with the goggles on his face. "Once we both become Shinobi, then they have no reason to deny that we're shinobi of the leaf, right?" He grinned, facing you before looking back at his meal.

You looked back at your meal. He was right, if you wanted to be seen as a Leaf civilian, you had to earn the title. Not just wish the 'the one from the sand' title would go away.

"Thanks, Naruto. You're right." To make this place your home, you'd fight for it. And nobody would deny it. You ended up enjoying your meal.

The next day Naruto had taken you to the academy, it wasn't too confusing of a place - there weren't many classrooms, to begin with - there was a courtyard - where Naruto told you of any other fights he had with Sasuke there - which he lost each time. Your classroom's position wasn't hard to remember, since it was the one at the very end of the hall. Naruto had peeked his head in to make sure it was your sensei in the room - which it was, but everybody looked at him with ludicrous faces as he apologized for 'getting the classroom numbers wrong'.

You recognized the crestfallen expression he carried after that. "I bet if Sasuke walked in there, they would all cheer." He scoffed. He almost seemed obsessed with the idea of Sasuke at this point.

"Do you want to be friends with Sasuke?" You asked - walking him back to his classroom after his tour was over.

"Huh? No way!" He said, back turned to you as he rested his hand on the door, ready to open it. "Well... Maybe." He mumbled, lowering his head.