now is the winter of our discontent (Pt.3)

[cywscross]

Fandom: Naruto

Summary: They've known each other for all of a day; not even.  Orochimaru doesn't understand why the kid is looking at him like that.

 

The day after Orochimaru brings Naruto back to Sensei, the Hokage sends him out on an S-rank mission.  Orochimaru isn’t that surprised; he knew the punishment was coming.  Sensei probably thinks he should've brought Naruto straight back the moment he found him.  What does come as a surprise is the fact that the mission isn’t quite as hard as he thought it would be.  A single assassination, and the only reason it’s labelled S-rank is because the target has three S-rank missing-nin guarding him – taken care of easily enough by a Sannin.

 

So then – not a punishment but a warning?

 

Orochimaru smirks rather sardonically when he realizes.  Sarutobi-sensei is getting soft in his old age.  That, or Naruto managed to put him in a good light.

 

He returns to the village five days later, none the worse for wear, and when he gets home, it takes him a whole thirty seconds for his brain to understand what he’s looking at.

 

Uzumaki Naruto is curled up in front of his house, fast asleep.  Literally.

 

 Forget understand.  Orochimaru doesn't understand.  And he’s supposed to be a genius.

 

There’s no ANBU around – again – so either Konoha’s elite assassins need urgent retraining or this kid will grow up to be a master escape artist.  Or the ANBU is still short-staffed from the Kyuubi attack, and Sensei has no choice but to cut corners and take his chances.  Probably a little of all three.

 

“Naruto-kun,” Orochimaru bends down to give the child’s shoulder a shake.  What is the boy doing here?  Did Sensei send him back to the orphanage after all?  And the kid ran back to Orochimaru?

 

“Mmrp...?”  Sleepy blue eyes flutter open, and a yawn follows a second later.  Orochimaru backs up a few steps.  He doesn't really know what to do now so he settles for waiting for Naruto to tell him what’s going on.

 

“Orochimaru-san!”  Naruto staggers to his feet, still looking somewhat disoriented, but he’s smiling up at Orochimaru, and there’s no denying the guileless delight on his face.  “You're home!  You were on a mission, right?  I thought so but I wasn't sure, and I didn't want to ask Jijii.”

 

They've known each other for all of a day; not even.  Orochimaru doesn't understand why the kid is looking at him like that.

 

“Is something wrong?”  Orochimaru surveys the boy with a critical eye.  The clothes are still slightly too big and on the worn side, but there aren’t any new injuries that he can see either.  “Did the Hokage send you back to the orphanage?”

 

Naruto shakes his head at once.  “Nah, Hokage-jijii got me set up with an apartment, and an allowance.  He told me he’d send a ninja around once a week to make sure I was doing okay too.”

 

“I see,” Orochimaru cocks an eyebrow.  “Then what are you doing back here?”

 

Naruto suddenly looks flustered, and he shuffles his feet for a moment, gaze sliding off to the side before mumbling, “I wanted to see you.”

 

Orochimaru doesn't blink.  “Why?”

 

A steady blush is rising in Naruto’s cheeks, and he looks increasingly discomfited.  “Well, I- I wanted to thank you!  If you hadn't suggested the apartment, then I’d probably be back at the orphanage right now!”

 

Ah, that makes sense.  For all that Naruto seems a bit brash (and his table manners need work), he also seems polite enough when the situation warrants it.

 

“I see,” Orochimaru says again, and nods once.  “Well, it was no trouble, though I appreciate you coming by.”

 

A long pause follows.  Naruto fidgets but doesn't move away from the door.  Orochimaru scrutinizes him some more.  “Was there anything else?”

 

Naruto sucks in a short, fortifying breath before raising his head and looking Orochimaru straight in the eye.  “I told you,” He emphasizes with that innate Uzumaki brazenness of his.  “I wanted to see you!  I mean, yeah, I wanted to thank you, but not just that!  I wanted to- I dunno, just- I wanted to come see you.”

 

He’s said it three times now, and Orochimaru is finally seeing the full picture.  He doesn't understand the picture, but at least he can see it.

 

And he is so out of his depth that his mind draws a blank for a full ten seconds.  Part of him actually hopes that the silence will be taken as a rejection but that turns out to be a futile wish when Naruto just juts out his chin and obstinately stays where he is.

 

“Didn't the Hokage warn you about me?”  Orochimaru asks at last because there’s no way Sensei didn't.

 

Naruto’s face scrunches up into a perplexed scowl.  “Yeah, he did-” Of course.  “-but I didn't promise I would.  It’s his fault for not getting one out of me – he just let me nod along – so he can’t blame me for not listening.”

 

Oh god help him; the kid fancies himself a budding politician.  And Sensei is going to have Orochimaru’s head on a platter if this keeps up.

 

“You should heed the Hokage’s warning,” Orochimaru makes sure to sharpen his voice into something icier even as he sidesteps the boy and reaches out to deactivate the seals on his door.  “Go home.  Don’t come back here.”  He doesn't let himself hesitate over his next words.  “I have better things to do than pander to nosy children all day.  You're wasting my time.”

 

From behind him, Naruto makes a noise akin to a wounded puppy.  Orochimaru doesn't turn around.  He doesn't let his pace falter as he steps over the threshold of his home, and he doesn't look back even as he swings the door shut behind him with an uncompromising thud.

 

He does lean against it, barely breathing until he feels the boy’s chakra signature retreat down the dirt path.  He only moves when Naruto is gone.

 

“You are being ridiculous,” Orochimaru tells himself as he drops off his weapons on the coffee table.  They’ll need cleaning.

 

He is being ridiculous.  He’s done a lot worse than rebuffing a child.  He’s tortured enemies to the point where they begged for death, and as rebuffs go, the one directed at Naruto wasn't even that harsh.

 

And yet, he feels guilty.

 

What has that boy done to him?  If Orochimaru is anything like that fool Jiraiya, he’d fret over being placed under a jutsu of some sort.  Then again, if he’s anything like Jiraiya, he wouldn't have to push the kid away in the first place.

 

Well, best not to dwell.  It’s unlikely that Orochimaru will see Naruto again, at least not until the child becomes a Chuunin and might have to work alongside Orochimaru, and by then, none of this will matter anyway.

 

~0~0~0~

 

Orochimaru, Naruto decides after a night of tossing and turning and thinking, can be kinda dumb after all.

 

That, or he thinks Naruto is really dumb, which is just rude.  Because Naruto remembers, okay?  He remembers all the nice things Orochimaru did for him when he didn't have to, when he could've just walked on by even when he heard Naruto crying, or hauled him straight back to Jijii instead of inviting him home, or told him to sleep on the couch without cooking him tasty food.

 

But he didn't, and all that stuff doesn't match the cold shoulder Orochimaru suddenly gave him yesterday.  Heck, he didn't even dropkick Naruto off his property when the man came home and found him on his doorstep, and then, right after Naruto revealed that Jijii Didn’t Approve the whole sneaking off to see Orochimaru thing, Orochimaru instantly shuts him down.

 

Naruto can actually put two and two together, even if adding bigger numbers takes longer for him.

 

And he isn’t one to give up either so after making himself some instant ramen, he’s scurrying off towards Orochimaru’s section of forest again (after weaving down a dozen back alleys to lose any tails of course; he knows enough about those animal-mask people to realize that they all report straight to Jijii).

 

“You can’t get rid of me that easy!”  Naruto announces mulishly once Orochimaru finally opens the door after an hour and forty-five minutes of on and off knocking.  Never let it be said that Uzumaki Naruto ever admits defeat.

 

“Boy, go home,” Orochimaru bites back, voice hard, eyes frigid.

 

Naruto crosses his arms and stands his ground.  “No!  I don’t wanna!  And I don’t think you really want me to either.  What’s it matter if Jijii doesn't like it?  It’s not like it’s illegal for me to spend time with you, is it?  And don’t lie and say yes unless you can show me proof!”

 

Orochimaru’s lips thin, and for a second, he looks like he wants to strangle someone, possibly Naruto.

 

But he doesn't.  In fact, he doesn't say or do anything at all, except shake his head and – really? – retreat back into the house, closing the door behind him.

 

Naruto is Not Happy because that’s just cheating.  Still, no amount of banging on the door that day draws Orochimaru back out again, and eventually Naruto has to go home.

 

He’s back the very next day, and the next, and the next, and he keeps going back rain or shine (Naruto knows that Orochimaru only goes on another mission once because during the four days that the man is gone, something keeps Naruto from even touching the door), with the exception of Sundays when a ninja who’s always chewing on a needle dutifully drops by, never at the same time each Sunday, asking if Naruto needs anything (Naruto always says no).

 

But every other day, he goes back to Orochimaru’s house, sometimes knocking on the door, other times simply sitting on the doorstep and telling the man about his day.  And the longer Orochimaru ignores him, the more determined Naruto gets.  Once, Naruto even spots the Jounin in the shopping district.  There, he hangs back and pretends he isn’t following the man instead of ambushing him like he wants to because who knows which shinobi will see and tattle to Jijii, and Naruto is smart enough to realize that some things are better kept secret for everyone’s peace of mind.

 

(He tracks and spies on Orochimaru that afternoon, though he’s pretty sure the Jounin knows exactly where he is at all times, and it doesn't take a genius to see the way the civilians are respectful but uneasy around him even though Orochimaru is nothing but coolly polite, and all the shinobi that pass by him dip their heads in a bow like they would to a superior, but they still give the man a wide berth as if they think they’ll catch something if they wander too close.  Naruto has to admire the way Orochimaru simply breezes past every single one of them as if their reactions to his presence don’t affect him at all.)

 

It all comes to a head after a month of trekking back and forth between his apartment and Orochimaru’s place.  It gets kind of annoying after a while because while Naruto’s apartment and Orochimaru’s house aren’t on opposite sides of the village, the distance is still pretty darn far, so one afternoon, Naruto just brings a blanket, a pillow, and lots of snacks, and when evening comes, he’s all ready to camp out under the stars.  He’s sometimes had to do that before, when the orphanage people ‘accidentally’ locked him out for the night, but shivering and squatting under an alcove was never any fun.

 

Orochimaru doesn't really have a proper front lawn but he lives in a forest so there’s soft grass everywhere, and when Naruto sprawls on his back and looks up, he can see the sky darken from orange-red to deep blue between the leafy branches, and out here, away from all the buildings and markets and noise and people, Naruto can literally count the stars as they wink into existence one by one.

 

He can see why Orochimaru likes it out here.

 

And then, when Naruto’s just about dozing off for the night, a click jerks his brain awake again, and it takes him a moment to realize that it was the sound of a door opening.

 

He shoots upright in the blink of an eye but before he can crane his head around and call out, Orochimaru is already there, gracefully dropping down onto the grass beside him.  He doesn't look at Naruto right away, staring off into the distance instead, so Naruto bites his tongue and stays silent as well even though it’s hard.

 

“You are a very persistent child,” Orochimaru says at last, and this time, his voice is back to the way it was before Jijii sort of ruined everything.  Golden eyes slant to the side to study Naruto.  “Why do you insist on coming here?”

 

“Cuz you're my friend now,” Naruto tells him point-blank.  “And Jijii can’t ban me from seeing my friend, ’ttebayo!”

 

For a second, Orochimaru’s face spasms like he’s bitten into something sour.  “We knew each other for less than a day,” The man points out.

 

“Nuh-uh!”  Naruto shoots him an indignant look.  “We’ve known each other for over a month now!”

 

Orochimaru pins him with a very clear don’t argue with me or you won’t like what I’ll do to you look.  It’s very obvious and effective, and Naruto has to wonder if the man’s had practice with aiming it at other people.  It’s certainly enough to make Naruto gulp nervously.

 

“...I’ve never had a friend before,” Naruto finally confesses, drawing up his knees so that he could prop his chin on them.  “The adults at the orphanage tell the other kids that I'm a bad influence.  And Jijii doesn't count cuz, you know, he’s the Hokage too, and I'm only allowed to see him once a month or when I'm in trouble anyway.  Most of the other grownups in the village don’t like me either, and they tell their kids to stay away from me too so...” He shrugs.  “I don’t even know why they don’t like me, but they don’t, and there’s not much I can do about it.  You're like Jijii though, cuz you don’t treat me like most people do.  But... you're like me too, cuz the villagers are mean to you too, and- and nobody should be alone like that, so it only makes sense for me to make sure you're not alone!”

He ends on an upbeat note, glancing up at Orochimaru to gauge the man’s reaction.  Orochimaru just looks mostly blank though, and Naruto can’t tell what he’s thinking until he sighs out, “I'm a grown man, Naruto-kun.  I think I can handle being alone.”

 

Naruto’s brow furrows as he thinks this over.  “What does that have to do with anything?  I can handle being alone too; doesn't mean I like it, which is why I like it here.  I'm not lonely even when it’s just me talking cuz I know you're there.  And just because you're an adult doesn't mean you don’t get lonely too.”

 

Orochimaru is silent again for a long while, completely still except for when a gust of wind blows past them and the Jounin has to sweep his hair out of his face.

 

“And... what if I deserve to be alone?”  Orochimaru peers down at him, a funny smile appearing on his face.  It doesn't reach his eyes.  “There’s a reason why the Hokage doesn't trust me, Naruto-kun.  I’ve done some very bad things in my life.”

 

Naruto immediately shakes his head.  “No one deserves to be alone!” He declares fiercely.  “And even if you've done bad things, you're not doing them anymore, right?”

 

Orochimaru’s expression tightens at once, and his answer is clipped and bitter and almost angry.  “Of course not.”

 

“Then,” Naruto spreads his hands.  “I don’t see the problem.  You stopped doing bad things; that’s what counts.  And since you're still a Konoha shinobi, then Jijii must've forgiven you already.”

 

Orochimaru scoffs.  “Hardly.  This sorry excuse for a village just can’t afford to have me as an enemy.”

 

Naruto examines the Jounin for a long contemplative moment.  Orochimaru sounds as if he doesn't like Konoha at all, but...

 

“You're still here though,” He observes tentatively.  “And you could just... I dunno, leave, couldn't you?  But you're still here, even though people don’t treat you nice.  So doesn't that mean you want to stay loyal to Konoha?  Doesn't that mean you do care about this village in some way?  Enough to stay even though it makes you sad?  And Jijii... Jijii must see that too.  He’s the Hokage; he should be able to tell.”

 

All of this earns him a stare so piercing that Naruto can’t help rubbing the back of his neck and shifting restlessly in place.  He only goes still again when Orochimaru finally looks away after a drawn-out minute, and then gets to his feet.

 

“Wait!  Where-”

 

“Come inside,” The Jounin says, already walking back towards the house.  “Before you catch your death out here.  It’s almost October; the nights aren’t getting any warmer.”

 

Naruto is dumbstruck for all of five seconds, and then he’s scrambling up and grabbing all his things before hightailing after Orochimaru, almost crashing into the man in his haste.

 

 

Orochimaru steadies him with a hand on his shoulder, and under the cloudless night sky, Naruto grins wide with triumphant glee.