Legacy [ Naruto Reader-Insert ]

鏡 - Kagami - Mirror

Things settle down a little after Naruto stops bawling his throat out in a perfect imitation of yesterday night's protagonist at the behest of his neighbour (who is also his landlord. "Ha, ha." Naruto says loudly through the walls, "Sorry, we'll keep it down."). You lie limp on his bed, face and body facing down. You kinda don't want to see his face right now. Shame creeps up from your fingers and from your toes.

If he has a whole ANBU squad protecting him, he must be pretty important to the village. Right? So that means they were here every time you came over? Including that time you asked Naruto about what an 'open mouthed kiss' was?! You squirm and wriggle violently on the bed, sliding both your palms underneath your face to placate yourself. It doesn't help. Your face is really, really hot against your hands and you just feel like dying on the spot. Right now.

Some part of you is terrified because honestly, knowing that you're being shadowed is one thing. It's another when you actually see it for yourself. Ack, if you keep thinking too much about it, you'll never be able to sleep at night. You try your best to shove related thoughts out of your head.

Naruto's probably still having a fun time sniffing his sheets and imagining that it's Sakura he's smelling. Pervert. Hound's a pervert. Naruto's a pervert. Are all men just closet perverts?!

"Ne, Naruto?" You ask, voice muffled from the cotton of his pillow and your palms, "Is that related to the thing on your stomach? The one you showed me that time?"

"Mmm." He sounds like he's making sounds as he's thinking, "I don't know if it's related. I don't know why I have an ANBU squad on me at all times too. They don't really bother my daily life that much, unless I decide to go on a village-wide pranking spree. Again." There's something in his voice that makes you think that he's not telling you the full truth, but it can't be helped. You're the same.

"You made holes in the tatami," You say, "Didn't you?"

Naruto make a choking noise as the mattress starts to shift. You imagine he's peering over the edge to look at said mat. "Aaack!" He screeches like he's running out of breath. You can almost see it in your mind, him slapping his hands against his cheeks in a exaggerated parody of the Scream, "You think I can get Jiijii to replace it for free?"

"Ask ANBU-san," You lift one hand from your face to wave dismissively at Naruto's direction, "It'll be easier. One tatami mat. Use requisition form RE1120 to get past the bureaucratic bullshit."

There is a short moment of silence.

"Naka-chan," Naruto says quietly as you hear paper being torn and the scratching of a pencil, "How d'you know about that? Owl seems kinda shocked too. That's scary."

"You're scary." You retort before your brain can process what you just did. You quickly sit up to make sure that's he's feeling okay. It's not very nice of you to say that. Especially because he has a pretty big complex. "A-ah, no I didn't mean that. It was a joke," You quickly grab his hand and give it a reassuring squeeze, "A joke. A joke."

Naruto's shoulders is slumped low and he has a hurt look on his face that's veering into one of deep betrayal. He squeezes your hand back and forces a carefree smile on his face to show you he's okay. You see right through him.

"Naruto." You say. A little hesitant to continue because one wrong word from your mouth might just collapse the foundation of this relationship that you've built with him, "I-i. Nevermind. It's my mistake, I'm sorr-"

"It's fine. It's fine!" He says, the corners of his lips trembling to hold up the grin on his face, "I'll be fine. See here, I've got all these to study and so very little time. It's uh-" Naruto quickly glances at the face of the clock beside his bed while throwing jazz hands towards the heap of scrolls on the floor, "It's almost five and I wanna get more studying in before my exam, y'know? My second time doing it and I don't wanna fail. Again." He adjusts the goggles resting on the top of his head and shoves a thumbs up into your face.