The Wish of a Wandering Soul

I Was Just Hungry Again

"talking"
thinking
Kurama talking in the mind
'Kurama thinking'
---------:Dreams and Flashbacks
'Memory quotes'
=====:Scene Change

3rd POV

  "WHERE IS THAT BAKA CHAAAA!!!" screeched Sakura causing everyone to cover their ears. The Konoha 12, save Naruto, and their senseis were waiting at the village gate for the very late blonde. "H-he probably has a r-reason to be late," Hinata stammered, worried about her crush. "Since when does that idiot have a good reason for being late," said Ino, tapping her foot on the ground impatiently. "Dead last's probably just wolfing down some ramen. I wouldn't be surprised if he forgot the whole trip," said Kiba.

"Hn..I don't know,"

All heads turned to the Last Uchiha survivor and prodigy. "What do you mean Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked flirtatiously while batting her eyes. Sasuke rolled his eyes, "Never mind." So coool thought Sakura and Ino. Sasuke ventured out into his own thoughts.

'Huh? N-no I'm fine.'

...Are you?

"HEY GUYS!!!!" a very familiar voice shouted from the distance. A orange blob was running towards the group, nearly three hours late. Everyone but Sasuke and the senseis were oblivious to notice something wrong. Shikamaru and Neji caught this, too.

Is he...limping?? they thought.

Kakashi POV

Naruto was limping...did he get attacked??

"Sorry I'm—" Naruto was cut off as a flash of pink rushed past me and towards him. "NARUTO YOU IDIOOOT!!!!!!" Sakura screeched. She raised her hand to land a massive punch on Naruto...and there it was. It was just a split second...but I saw it. It was the first time I noticed him react like that. He stiffened and froze, and his eyes had a glint of...genuine fear. Not like the usual dramatic,"afraid of Sakura's punches" face he'd usually make. It was like he was actually scared, but not of Sakura, no it couldn't be. No..it was something else.

Naruto?

POW

3rd POV

"AAAAaah!!!!!" Naruto yelped in pain, falling on his back. He clutched his throbbing head in pain. Aaack!! She got me on the spot where someone smashed a sake bottle onto my head today. That pink little-Oh no!!! Naruto felt something warm and sticky trickled down his arm. Blood. Everyone's eyes widened. Naruto quickly stood up, holding his hands over the wound. "N-Naruto are you okay?" asked Sakura. I didn't think I'd actually wound him!? Sakura reached out to help him, but he did something unexpected. He slapped her hand away. There was an awkward silence in the group. "S-sorry Sakura-chan. Um, it's fine I'll treat it myself," he said, trying to put up a cheerful smile. Keyword: trying. Something was off about this smile. It looked forced. Fake. As Naruto walked away,Tenten was the first to break the silence.

"WHAT THE HELL SAKURA!?!?!"

"Uh, huh?" was the class's smartest kunoichi's response.

Ino's eyebrow twitched while Tenten just sighed. "Don't 'uh huh'! Do you just always sucker punch Naruto whenever you feel like it?!?!" snapped Ino. "B-but..I-I.." Sakura stammered. She didn't know what to say. She seemed confused herself. Was it just because she felt like punching Naruto? Whenever she hurt him it always made her feel somewhat better about herself, but now she didn't know. "That was very unyouthful of you," Lee commented while everyone else just nodded in agreement. Sakura looked down in guilt.

Sasuke was in thought. It doesn't make any sense...I mean not even her punches have ever actually made the dobe bleed. No something else is going on..
    
"Sorry about that!!!" Naruto called while run-limping back. Kakashi sighed, "Well, putting aside this apparent accident, Naruto can you explain why you're even later than me?" Naruto froze.

...

"It was nothing important, I was just..."

Beaten to a pulp again

Stabbed again

Burned again

Cut again

Kicked again

Punched again

Scared again

Crying again

"...hungry again," he said, "so I went to eat Ramen at Ichiraku's. I must've lost track of time."

Lying again

...

"Seriously?!?" the genin exclaimed. Naruto scratched the back of his head, chuckling nervously, "Yeah sorry.." Shikamaru sighed, "Troublesome blonde..."

"ALRIGHT NOW WE'RE ALL HERE!!!"

Everyone turned to Gai-sensei, " Now. ONWARD TOWARDS YOUTH!!!!!!!" And with that Gai bolted out the village, Lee trailing behind. Everyone else sweatdropped. "Well, you heard the man, let's go,"said Asuma, leading the rest of the group. Naruto trailed behind, wondering what was to come of this trip. He hated lying to his friends, but his stomach dropped at the thought of them hating him if they found out the truth. And now he was going on trip that just might reveal that truth. He was nervous, and really scared.

His stomach growled.

...

Guess I was hungry, too.