2. Eventful Meetings

"Where am I?" Again, the pain hit him.

When did it start? Ah, yes, Haku is a guy.

His first love broken.

Shattered in million pieces. Again, naruto wanted to cry, for his misery.

Nothing went well for him. After all, he had to hold himself together, he had to be strong.

Smiling, every time, even in his pain.

"Better hurry up, Kakashi-sensei might be waiting" even though these words came out of his mouth, with a smile, none of it actually, brought any happiness with it.

That's when it hit him, he was lonely with nothing, to his name. Sakura even went out to reaffirm these harsh words. Still, he would never hold it against her.

After all, it was not her fault. People follow others and she too followed the crowd, in hating him.

Still, the question of this hate, alludes his dreams, even now?

"Who am I?" A question, which may remain, unanswered, for the rest of his life.

Hiruzen protects him, others hate him. however, just like others, he too would want someone, to at least smile for him, to make him feel, even if for a little bit.

If not then, this hideous feeling, within his heart, will grow more and more.

Little by little the young boy closed his eyes along with his heart for his village.

...

"Ah..." the rays of a fading sun, hit his eyes, waking him of his dreams.

Again, the sadness clung to heart, but then

"Get yourself together" slapping his face he once more took his confident and obnoxious mask, to disillude this world, once more.

But just when he was about to get up, he felt a certain weight cling to his chest.

"purr..." again, he wanted to move but this small life was too much of a burden, for him to throw.

And so waited for a while for the cat, to end its sleep

A few minutes later:

It was almost night, the silver feline with blue ocean eyes, began to move.

After its awakening, it started to stretch using his chest for its activities. It was touching, to feel someone's warmth cling to him.

The last time, was maybe when his parents were around. This may have been the first, for him, to feel someone's life, someone's existence cling, to him.

With a broad smile, naruto asked

"Have a good sleep, kitty cat?"

"meow" it jumped over him and on his shoulders.

'It seems this one is intelligent? Ninja cat, perhaps?' without thinking much, he took the wandering cat with him, on his journey.

Still, he questions why did he do it? Was he that lonely for affection? might be.

After all, no one can live alone, no matter how happy, they might seem, outside.

"Naruto, where were you?" Asked Kakashi-sensei, from out of the blue.

"Nowhere, just getting on a bit of a walk and stumbled on this cute thing. Couldn't leave it behind, you know"

"Huh...just make sure, to not make it a problem for the mission"

"You got it" With a bright smile, naruto answered.

It was late at night.

While the world slept, naruto talked with his playful cat, as it licked itself all over.

"...and then Iruka, kicked him out of the class, that was funny, you know"

"meow"

Some might consider this, to be meaningless, the words between them, lost in translations but the happiness amongst each other was genuine

It was real.

At some moment, when naruto cracked some jokes or when this feeble cat, made his body, his home, there was no pain, no expectations from the other.

It just was right and so he gained something new, a family to call his own...