Nozomi: Chapter 1

1.

One week later

The sun dipped down and the reddish pink sky faded into navy blue.  Within moments, it was filled with millions of tiny, twinkling lights, and the moon came out, signaling the end of another day.  Its pale light illuminated everything below and all was quiet, aside from the chirp of crickets and other night time creatures.  

A crunch sounded nearby, and all sounds of nature ceased as a young girl stumbled through the forest.  A hooded, black cloak concealed her, and enabled her to blend into the shadows.  Her gold eyes darted back and forth as she dropped her hood, shaking her medium length brown hair free and exposing her fuzzy, black cat ears.  Making her way to one of the many trees in the area, she lowered herself onto the ground, leaning against its trunk as she closed her eyes.  

“What do you think you’re doing, stopping here?” A low voice growled in her mind.

The brunette’s eyes fluttered open slowly, and she clicked her tongue in annoyance.  “Kumoraku, I just need a minute.”

“I don’t care if you’re on your deathbed, Kubota.  We can’t stay here.  Even with all these trees surrounding us, we’re still out in the open!”

“But I don’t think I can walk anymore...and how many times do I have to tell you?  My name is Nozomi!”

“You know very well it makes no difference to me what you’re called.  You’re just a thorn in my side.” A throaty growl erupted from Kumoraku before she sighed deeply.  “There’s a village up ahead.  Rest there until you feel well enough to continue.”

Nozomi exhaled heavily in defeat.  She’d been on the run for...probably a week now, and the journey had been rough.  Nobody cared for a stranger like her, especially once they got a good look at her and saw how strange she really was.  More often than not, once people saw her ears, they assumed she was some sort of demon and ran her out of the village.  

‘Not that I can really blame them.  After what I did, I might as well be considered one.’  Nozomi bit her lip as images of her clan’s final moments surfaced and did a double take, trying to clear her head.  She was tired of crying over things that she couldn’t change.

All she wanted right now was a safe place to rest, and maybe some food.  It had been so long since she last ate, and she knew she looked as bad as she felt, if not worse.  Maybe someone would take pity on her and give her something to eat.  With this in mind, the brunette slowly got back up, her legs trembling with protest.  She could see the village gates, just ahead, and she pulled the hood back up, concealing her ears once more.  

‘I can do this.’ She chanted the phrase as a mantra silently as she began to walk again.  Gradually the village gates came closer, and the hope of getting a meal began to feel like a possibility.  

Suddenly, Nozomi began to feel lightheaded, and she stumbled, pitching forward onto the ground.  She lifted her head to spit out a mouthful of dirt, grimacing as pain shot through the faded bruises on her face.  

The entire world was spinning, and she knew she wouldn’t be able to go much farther, but she still forced herself back up.  She’d rest soon; the village was just a couple feet away now.  She’d only taken two steps, however when her knees buckled, and she threw her hands out in front of her as she fell again.  

Try as she might, Nozomi couldn’t muster up enough energy to get back up.  Her vision began to blur, and she closed her eyes, willing away the dizziness that threatened to overwhelm her, but it was no use.  She knew she wouldn’t be able to get up again.  

She cried out in frustration as she realized how close she’d been.  Just a few more steps and she’d have been inside the village, if not for her stupid body deciding to up and quit on her.

"I’m afraid there’s no helping it, Kumoraku.  I’m gonna have to stay here."

The demon growled, berating Nozomi and calling her weak until the girl slipped into unconsciousness.

…….

“See you later, old man!” Naruto waved to Teuchi as he stepped outside of Ichiraku, looking around.  ‘I hope Sakura-chan found her way home okay.  It’s pretty dark tonight.’  Just moments ago, the kunoichi had left, and though he’d offered to walk her home, she’d declined, saying that she wanted to be alone.  It was obvious she was worried about Sasuke.

Sasuke.

His blue eyes dimmed slightly as his thoughts shifted to his other teammate.  He had assured Sakura that the raven haired ninja would never give in to Orochimaru’s curse mark, because he was already strong enough.  

Only, he privately wondered just how true that was.  The Uchiha, whose skills outclassed him, (though Naruto would never believe such lies) seemed to be growing paranoid, especially where Naruto’s progress as a ninja was concerned.  

Earlier that day, Sasuke had challenged him to battle, and Naruto had agreed, expecting a competition between two rivals.  Only, for some reason, the Uchiha had come at him with a killer’s intent!    It had all happened so fast, and no matter how the blond tried to rationalize his friend’s sudden change in behavior, it just didn’t make sense.  If Kakashi hadn’t intervened...He didn’t even want to think about what could have happened.

It had been hours since, but the incident was still fresh in his mind.  Naruto doubted he’d be able to sleep, so he decided to take a walk to try to clear his mind.   He stuffed his hands in his pockets as he wandered about, noting how empty the streets were.  It was as if everyone had vanished, and he was the only one left in Konoha.  

The thought made him feel a little lonely, although he was used to such things, having nobody to wait for him to come home.  Aside from Iruka, few people cared about him, as long as he wasn’t getting into trouble.  

A few moments later, the blond stopped, realizing how far he’d gone.  Somehow, while he’d been lost in thought, he’d ended up at the entrance to the village.  Ahead loomed the massive gates, and beyond them lie the outskirts of the village.  

Naruto stood there, thinking back to all of the missions he’d departed for with Team 7 out these very gates.  The corners of his mouth twitched.  Things hadn’t always gone according to plan, but together he and Sasuke had grown strong, and he liked to believe that he’d proven himself worthy of being the Uchiha’s rival.

A thud nearby broke him out of his thoughts, and Naruto approached the village’s entrance, looking around.  

“Who’s there?” He demanded, trying to sound intimidating.  “Show yourself, you coward!”

When he heard a muffled noise near the gates, the boy hesitated. The idea of capturing an intruder all by himself unnerved him a little, but… Naruto clenched his fists tightly, bracing himself.  He was a ninja, and it was his responsibility to keep the village safe.

With a deep breath, Naruto steeled himself and stepped out of the village, but he couldn’t sense anything unusual.  Still, he knew he’d heard something.  He looked to his left and his right, and when he still saw nothing he decided to do a perimeter check.

Just as Naruto turned to run, his foot connected with something solid and he lurched forward.  His hands shot out and he fell into an awkward hand stand before somehow managing to land unsteadily on his feet.  

‘Phew, that was close!’  The boy sighed as he regained his footing and turned to see what had tripped him up.  At first glance he didn’t see anything, but as he looked again, he could just make out the outline of somebody sprawled out on the ground.

‘What’s going on here?’  Quickly Naruto knelt beside the person, relieved to see that whoever they were, they were still breathing.  

“Hello..?”  The only answer he got was a soft groan, but he was able to determine that the person was a girl at least.  Naruto decided to try again.

“Hello, can you hear me?”  This time he was met with nothing but silence from the girl, and he clicked his tongue.   “C’mon, say something!”  He urged, shaking her shoulder.  

The girl moaned, slowly shifting so she was on her back and Naruto retracted his hand.  In the process, her hood slipped off, and Naruto leaned in to get a better look at her.

“Hello?” He carefully brushed away the hair that had fallen in her face.  His hand froze as he touched something soft, and he traced it with his index finger, gawking.    

“These are...cat ears?!”

……..

Nozomi’s parents had escaped the assassins and together, the three of them were running for their lives.  Nozomi’s legs felt like they were on fire, but she pushed onward, motivated by the angry shouts in the distance as the Kubotas pursued them.  

Her mother turned to her and mouthed “I love you”, and before Nozomi knew what had happened she was standing alone in a forest of dead trees.

“Kaa-san?  Tou-san?  Where are you?!”  She called as she ran, searching for her parents.  

Suddenly a blur of black and blond tackled her onto her back, and she stared up from the ground, wide eyed.   “S-Suoh-kun..!”  

As Suoh held her down he gave her a curious grin, asking why she was running and the brunette quickly explained the situation. “I have to find my parents so we can get away!”

Suddenly Suoh’s face morphed into a smirk, and he laughed menacingly. “It’s too late for that.”  

He motioned over to their left, and Nozomi’s eyes filled with horror as they landed on the mutilated bodies of her parents.  “NO!”  Their blank eyes stared accusingly at her, and Nozomi shut her eyes, trying to block out the voices in her head that screamed it was her fault.  

“And now,” Suoh smirked, producing a kunai, “it’s your turn.”

Nozomi barely had time to scream before he plunged the blade into her heart and everything went black.

…

Nozomi’s eyes flew open and she glanced around wildly.  It had all been a dream, she realized.  Slowly her heartbeat returned to its normal speed, and she let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding, relieved.  It had all felt so real...

“Finally, you’re awake!”

Nozomi’s body tensed, and she cursed herself for not realizing sooner that she wasn’t alone as she slowly looked up.  Gold collided with blue and she gasped, using her elbows to prop herself up as she tried to get to her feet.  

“S-Suoh...k-kun..?”  To her dismay, she still felt too weak to move, and the brunette reluctantly sank back, trembling.  “I...I thought you were dead.”  Maybe it hadn’t all been a dream.  

“Man, you really must have hit your head hard!” The boy extended a hand toward her.  “Need a hand?”  

Memories of her last encounter with Suoh flashed through her mind, and Nozomi scrambled to her feet, narrowing her eyes at him.  “G-get back..!”  She stood as tall as she could, trying in vain to appear intimidating, but the world began to spin again, and she began to fall backwards.  

Her downward descent was stopped as the boy grabbed her hand, and she stared up as tears filled her eyes.  “Please, let me go!”

The blond tilted his head, shrugging his shoulders as he released the brunette’s hand, and she fell back, quickly pulling herself into a sitting position,   “Are you sure you're okay?  You’re acting really weird..”

In her panic, Nozomi heard none of his questions as she lowered her head to hide her tears.  “Haven’t you hurt me enough yet?  I already know you hate me.  Just leave!”

“How can I hate you if I don’t even know you?  Are you sick or something?”  

The spiky haired boy crouched beside her and leaned in, and Nozomi squinted her eyes shut, bracing herself.  He pressed his palm to her forehead and frowned.  “You are a little warm, but I don’t think you’re actually sick..”

Nozomi opened her eyes, looking at him with uncertainty.  When she finally got to see him close up, she realized he was not who she’d thought he was.  At a distance he looked similar to Suoh, but there were many differences.  

This boy had light blond hair, and bright blue eyes.  She could also see three whisker like marks on each side of his face.  What had really convinced her that this wasn’t Suoh, however was the strange power she felt emanating from this stranger.  It was similar to her own demonic power, except much stronger, and she shivered slightly before turning a curious look to the boy.  

Seeing that she was calm now, the blond sat back and smiled.  “Are you okay, now?”

With a soft sigh, Nozomi nodded her head.  “Yeah, sorry. I..thought you were someone else.” She replied, unable to hide the relief in her voice.  

The blond’s lips twitched into a smirk.  “Obviously.” He snickered, and Nozomi mentally smacked herself for mistaking this kid for that guy.  He was the exact opposite.  While Suoh had come off as cool and unapproachable, there was a warmth about this boy that just made her feel comfortable even though she had no clue who he was.  

She groaned inwardly, feeling her face heat up as she realized what a fool she’d made of herself in front of him and she facepalmed.  “Well, just forget all that stuff I said, okay?”  Not giving the boy a chance to respond she glanced around, blinking rapidly to clear the remaining tears that blurred her vision.  “Um, can you please tell me where I am?”

The blond seemed hesitant to drop the subject, but his eyes lit up at her question and he gave a wide grin.  “Oh yeah!  Where are my manners?  You’re right outside of Konoha, the greatest village in the Land of Fire!”  Then without missing a beat, he pointed to himself.  “My name is Uzumaki Naruto, ninja of the Leaf -ttebayo!”   

He proudly motioned to the headband on his forehead, and Nozomi raised an eyebrow, grinning at his over the top introduction. ‘He doesn’t seem like the ninja type...he’s too cheery.  Aren’t ninja supposed to be quiet and withdrawn?’  The brunette broke out of her thoughts as she noticed the intense look he was giving her, and she gulped.  “Wh-what?”

Naruto grinned widely, leaning forward.  “I just asked what your name was!”

“Ah..” Nozomi smiled sheepishly and looked away.  Naruto seemed like a nice person, but...

“Hello..?”  A hand waved in her face and Nozomi sighed, casting her eyes to her lap.  

“...Kubota Nozomi.”  Just hearing her family name made her guilt rise and she grimaced, tensing her shoulders.

“Nice to meet you, Nozomi-chan!” Naruto beamed.  When the brunette didn’t answer he changed the subject.  “So, uh...what are you doing out here, anyway?  Isn’t it kinda late to be out alone?”

Nozomi sweat dropped, looking down at the dirt.  “Well...I’m traveling, and because of how I...um..look, it’s easier for me to cover ground at night.  I'm less likely to run into anybody that way.”

“How you look?” Naruto’s gaze shifted to her ears, and she flattened them self consciously, nodding wordlessly.  “Oh...What about your family?  Won’t they be worried about you?”

A dull pain echoed in the brunette’s chest at his words and she hung her head, shadows casting over her eyes.  “What family?” She finally murmured after a long pause.

Understanding bloomed in Naruto’s eyes and he gave her a sympathetic look.  “I get it...I’m alone too.”

When Nozomi saw no traces of dishonesty on his face, she gave him a sad smile.  “That’s too bad.”   

With a sigh she forced herself to her feet, turning her back on him.  “I should probably go now.  It’s only a matter of time before I’m captured for intruding or something, right?”  She paused, narrowing her eyes at him briefly.  “Or maybe that’s what you’re here for right now.”

Before Naruto could say anything, the brunette began to walk away, and he scrambled to his feet, reaching out and grabbing her shoulder. “Wait!”

Nozomi jerked out of his reach, wincing and he stared at her, forgetting what he’d been about to say.  Now that she’d stepped out of the shadows, he could see her face clearly.  His eyes widened as he noticed the faded bruises that lined her jaw, and he gingerly touched one, frowning when she flinched away.  “Nozomi-chan, who did that to you?”

The brunette began to answer, but at that moment a sharp pain coursed through her, and she dropped to her knees, hiding her face in her hands.

Concerned, Naruto knelt in front of her, asking her what had happened.

Nozomi’s body trembled as she lowered her hand and looked at him, wincing.  Now not only was everything starting to spin again, but she felt a headache coming on.  What was going on with her?  ‘Is this because I’m so run down?’

As he realized she wasn’t going to answer him, Naruto decided to take matters into his own hands.  “Get on my back.  I’m taking you to the hospital.”

Somehow, in the midst of the pain the girl managed to shake her head, and she raised her eyes to meet his, speaking through clenched teeth.  “No, I’m fine. Just leave me here.”

‘This feels bad, but it’s what I deserve, after all..’

Unable to believe what he was hearing, Naruto fixed her with an incredulous look.  “You are NOT fine!  You need to see a doctor now!”

“No really.  I just need to rest and I’ll be fine.”  Nozomi insisted, even though she knew he didn’t believe her words.  Heck, she didn’t even believe her.

“Why are you being so stubborn?!” The blond threw his hands in the air frustratedly and she decided to change the subject.  

“Really, if there’s anything I need, it’s food.  Do you know anywhere I could get a bite to eat?”

Naruto pouted at the obvious subject change, but he perked up slightly at her question, nodding.  “Do I!  I know the best place in the whole village!” He paused, watching as the girl’s mouth watered and grinned mischievously.  “I’ll take you, but only if you’re absolutely sure you’re okay.”

“I already told you I’m fine!” The brunette mumbled as she got to her feet, trying to ignore the dizziness that hit her in the process. The look Naruto gave her said that he wasn’t buying her act, and she scoffed, turning toward the village.  “Alright, let’s go then, if you really don’t mind.”

Naruto crossed his arms and opened his mouth to say something, but his words were suddenly drowned out by a loud rumble, and he looked over at the girl, bewildered.  “Nozomi-chan, was that..?”

Nozomi blushed in embarrassment as her stomach let out another rumble, confirming his suspicions.  

Naruto’s eyebrows rose, and he gave her a teasing grin.  “Geez, when’s the last time you ate?”

Abruptly her gaze dropped to the ground, and she coughed uncomfortably.  “I, uh..can’t really remember.  It’s been a while.”  

‘She can’t remember?’ Naruto’s eyes bulged, and he stared at her in shock.

An awkward silence settled between them, and Nozomi bit her lip, frowning as she glanced at the boy.  He was regarding her with something akin to horror, and she laughed sheepishly.  “Um..hello?  Was it something I said?”

Naruto snapped out of his stunned stupor and did a double take before grabbing her wrist, and she stumbled forward as he took off running into the village.  “Whoa--!  Slow down!”  

……..

‘There’s no way I can afford any of this.’  Nozomi sighed inwardly as she scanned the Ichiraku menu.  Naruto had insisted this was the best place to eat in the entire village, and while she was eager to try it, she knew deep down that the only way she’d be able to was if the old man would let her wash dishes or something in return for her meal.

Naruto grinned as he finished explaining the reason for his second visit in an hour to Teuchi and turned to the brunette.  He could tell even without her saying anything that she was worried, and he had a feeling he knew what about.

“Hey, go ahead and order whatever you like.  It’s on me.” He held up his toad shaped wallet, Gama-chan, and Nozomi stared at him in stunned silence.

“Why would you go that far for a perfect stranger, Naruto-kun?” she finally asked after a moment, pinning her ears back as she looked down at the counter top.  

Naruto just grinned in response.  “Do I really need a reason to do something nice for somebody?”

The brunette glanced at him from the corner of her eye.  “I guess not...but you don’t even know me...”

“So what?” The blond continued to smile as he answered.  “That doesn’t matter to me!  A ninja is supposed to help people out no matter what, dattebayo!”

The small smile that had crept onto Nozomi’s face faded and she shrugged.  “Well...people normally wouldn’t want to help someone like me.” She mumbled, turning her attention back to the menu.

“What do you mean by that?” Naruto’s brows knit together in confusion and he frowned at her.  “You seem like a nice enough person to me.  Maybe a little tense, but not enough to keep me from liking and wanting to help you.”

Nozomi turned and gave him a weak smile, turning away again before she could blurt out the answer he wanted.  ‘He says he likes me now, but if he knew what happened he’d probably hate me too.'

The silence was broken finally when Teuchi came and asked for their order, and Naruto nudged her gently.  “Do you know what you want yet?”

Nozomi quickly turned her attention to the old man and gave her order, and he walked away to go prepare it.  It was then that she realized Naruto hadn’t ordered anything, and she frowned at him.  “You’re not getting anything?”

“Of course I am!” The spiky haired boy gave her a toothy grin.  “I’m their most frequent customer, so they already know what I want.”

“..Oh, okay.”  The brunette looked away, and the awkward silence fell over them again.  

This time, Naruto wasn’t going to let it stay, as he cleared his throat to get her attention.  “So, listen...about earlier.” He paused, checking to make sure nobody else was listening before leaning closer and speaking in a hushed tone.  “What happened to you?” When the girl looked at him strangely he motioned to the bruises on her face and she bit her lip, turning away.

“Ah..that.” Nozomi closed her eyes as she relived the memories of that day and breathed out softly.  “Somebody I really cared about betrayed and hurt me.”

Whatever kind of answer he’d been expecting, this was clearly not one of them as Naruto sat back on his stool, looking shocked.  “That’s terrible.  I’m really sorry..”

“Don’t be.” Gold eyes locked with his and Naruto flinched as he saw the coldness behind them.  “It just showed me what a fool I was for trusting him to begin with.”  She broke off, averting her eyes.  “I doubt I’ll ever trust anybody again.”

Naruto’s heart clenched at her words, and he regarded her with sad eyes for a moment.  “You’re a jinchuuriki, aren’t you.”

It was a statement, not a question, but the brunette still answered him.  “So what if I am?” she huffed, folding her arms defensively.

The blond winced at her change in behavior and tried again.  “Well..I’m the jinchuuriki of the Nine tailed fox.” He paused, watching her reaction.  She didn’t seem too surprised, which told him that she must’ve sensed his demon just as he’d sensed hers.  “I just...wanted you to know.  I understand your pain.”

‘Does he really think I’m gonna want to tell him my life story just because he’s a jinchuuriki?’ Nozomi opened her mouth to make a retort but at that moment Teuchi returned and placed their bowls before them.  

“Oh yeah!”

The old man laughed as Naruto broke his chopsticks with gusto and shook his head.  “You act like you weren’t here just an hour ago!”

The blond flashed him a toothy grin, insisting that he was never not hungry for ramen and Nozomi giggled softly as she broke her own chopsticks.  

Almost immediately Naruto turned to look at her in astonishment and she sweat dropped, feeling unnerved.  “What?”

“You actually laughed.” He commented.  Slowly the surprise on his face faded, and he beamed at her.  “You look pretty when you laugh...you should do it more often.”  

Taken aback by the compliment, Nozomi could only stare as he turned his attention back to his ramen, and she huffed softly, turning her attention to her food.  “Yeah, whatever you say.”

Despite her reservations about letting him pay for her, she had to admit she was bursting with excitement.  It looked and smelled amazing.  

“Itadakimasu!” She chimed, plunging the chopsticks into the bowl and slurping more noodles than she could take in at once.  Her eyes closed contentedly as the various flavors invaded her mouth, and she was filled with bliss.  She wouldn’t have been surprised if she actually purred, she was so happy!  

As she sat there, eating like she hadn’t in days, Nozomi became acutely aware that she was being watched.  Swallowing her mouthful of noodles, she glanced to her right and gave a sheepish grin.  Naruto had already finished his food, and now sat watching her, an amused smirk tugging at his lips.  Didn’t he realize that she didn’t like being watched like that?

“I, uh...it’s good.” She mumbled, and his smirk only grew, unnerving her more.  “What?”

The blond turned away, stretching his arms behind his head contently.  “Nothing.  I was just thinking I should probably order another.  One’s probably not gonna be enough.”

“Um...if you say so.  I’m grateful for just the one bowl.” The brunette turned back to her ramen and resumed eating while Naruto ordered another bowl for her.  

‘Naruto-kun’s a pretty nice guy.’  She thought as she slurped her noodles.  ‘Maybe I can trust him.’

“That’s what you thought about that pretty boy, but things didn’t go the way you were expecting, did they?”

Nozomi choked on her food as Kumoraku’s voice filled her head, and she put the chopsticks down, gasping.  

“What did you say?” She demanded, and the cat flashed her a toothy smirk.

“You heard me, Kubota.  Don’t let your guard down just because this one says he’s a jinchuuriki.  You know he’d never accept you after all you’ve done!”

“I’m not, Kumoraku.  I just think he might be somebody I could eventually talk to about what happened.’

An growl emitted from the demon, and she bared her fangs angrily.  “What does that mean?  Are you telling me that you’re actually considering staying here?!”

Nozomi chewed her lip uncertainly, clearly hesitant to answer and Kumoraku roared angrily.

“Fine!  If you want to stay and be subjected to the same thing as before, be my guest.  Just don’t expect me to make it any easier!”

Nozomi’s eyes widened as a pounding pain pulsated through her body, and she inhaled sharply.  “What did you just do?!”

Kumoraku gave a devilish smirk, snickering darkly.  “I’ve relinquished my healing powers for now.  We’ll see just how well you fare recovering like an average human.”  When the brunette didn’t respond, she gave a harsh laugh. “You didn’t really think you were almost fully healed, did you?  I’ve been holding back the worst of the pain up until now, you fool!”

Nozomi cried out as another stab of pain shot through her body, and her hands flew to her head as her surroundings began to spin uncontrollably.

A startled Naruto turned to face her, worry etched into his features.  “Hey, are you okay?!” He waved a hand in her face, but she was too consumed in her pain to notice.  After several seconds that felt to her like hours of agony, she passed out, falling face first into her bowl of ramen.

To say the blond was surprised would be putting it mildly.  Naruto waited, watching her with wide eyes.  When a minute went by and she didn’t budge, he lifted her head, moving the bowl away.  

After trying and failing to wake the brunette, he paid for the food and with some difficulty, he lifted her onto his back.  He hurried out of Ichiraku and took off running, his brows furrowed in frustration.

‘I TOLD her she needed to see a doctor!’

……..

Kumoraku scowled as she watched the orange clad ninja barge into the hospital with Nozomi in tow.  She’d have to break this up, before he instilled new hope into the young Kubota and convinced her to stop hating herself.  

The feline scowled at the girl who lay in a heap at her feet and thrummed her claws against the ground agitatedly.  This Naruto had the potential to undo everything she’d been working for since the Kubota clan’s massacre, and that was something she could not allow.

To be continued