Wonders and Miracles
Disclaimer: I still have yet to find the legal papers necessary for me to own Naruto. Darn.
Author's Note: Hey everyone! I'm back with another multi-chap! I was rewatching the Hunchback of Notre Dame and I couldn't let this idea go, so we'll see how this turns out.
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"Wonderful things don't happen when we set aside our differences, but when we embrace them."-Anoymous
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The streets were filled with brightness this time of noon, light glinting off of the caravan's bright decorations and through the stained glass windows mounted high in the church walls. The scent of bread and fish wafted through the air so close to the river, and the high towers loomed over the rest of the city. This was his favorite time of day-everyone was in the streets and they were almost never too busy to notice their acrobatics.
He turned to his closest friend, a pretty pink-haired young woman dressed in skirts of varying greens and whites. Her emerald eyes followed him as he slipped the tight shirt over his head for the performance, his blonde hair getting caught on a button. She sighed and carefully untangled it, letting him finish pulling on the shirt, his vivid blue eyes sparking with confidence and excitement. He himself was dressed in orange and blue and he relaxed himself as he waited for his cue.
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The streets were a generally boring place, except possibly at night. That was when the city came truly alive, but these days, Sasuke couldn't find very much time to sneak out to see the night life, hence why he was wandering around in bright daylight. There were the normal stands and booths, but most of the roads were empty, and he noticed the shopkeepers' reluctant expressions, like they had somewhere else they wanted to be. Following the direction of their eyes, he found himself looking into the city's main square and there was a show going on.
A loud announcer with two red tattoos on his cheeks, dark unruly hair and the brown skin common to the gypsies that put on the shows was yelling to the crowd about death defying acts. With a grand sweeping motion, he swept his arm to point at a person walking out. The sunlight hurt from this young man's hair and even paled a bit in comparison. Eyes the color of the open ocean sparkled at the crowd as he leapt forward and flipped, landing gracefully on the tightrope on his hands. Grinning at the crowd, he shifted to only one hand and pulled a long rope of colorful handkerchiefs seemginly out of nowhere. The rope fell nearly to the ground below him and Sasuke followed it, seeing another gypsy, this one slightly paler than the other two, with outrageously colored pink hair who shook a tambourine and danced, catching men's' eyes.
With one hand, she took the rope and the acrobat on the rope got to his feet, the rope swaying precariously, although he didn't seem concerned, and swung her up to a platform above the tightrope, which flames flickered around, although the source was indiscernible. The crowd gasped at the height and danger, but the acrobat grinned again and leapt down and landing lightly on his feet, standing beside the announcer, pointing across the makeshift stage.
The floor was covered in coals, ones that were glowing red and just behind that was another young man, slightly shorter than the other with hair redder than the coals and the handkerchiefs with blue-green eyes shadowed eerily and a tattoo with love on his forehead. Barefooted, he walked, no shift in expression, across the coals. The crowd gasped as the girl dropped down, the redhead catching her without looking and walking the rest of the way, joining the other two and they all bowed before getting swept up in an enormous royal purple blanket, disappearing along with the stage. The crowd cheered, throwing coins, no one noticing the small dog running through and collecting them all.
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"Good job, Akamaru!" Kiba's larger than average canines showed through his grin as he petted his dog.
"We did all the work." The blonde huffed, pouting in his childish way.
"Chill, Naruto. At least we got some money." Sakura told him, seated cross-legged on a crate, loose pants underneath her skirt.
Naruto sighed and leaned back on his hands. "Fine fine. I'll drop it."
"You guys got a payoff?" Shikamaru asked, looking down from his spot in a niche in the wall.
Naruto scowled teasingly up at him. "Yeah, no thanks to you."
Shikamaru smirked lazily and tossed down a small bag. "You forget my incredible thieving skills, Naruto. I broke into his Honor, the High Judge's house." No one could deny the mocking tone when he said the title.
Naruto and Kiba whooped, along with Kankurou, who had just heard the news. The puppeteer sat by his brother. The Judge had been after gypsies like them for years. The Judge's career had been set back a few years ago when his son disappeared and his youngest, some kid named Sasame or something, had to start taking up the mantle of successor. They'd met the older brother a few times, Itachi was his name. The guy was pretty cool, willing to work and had told them all the weak points of the Judge's house. He traveled all over the country, stopping back in his hometown every now and then.
"I think this is a cause for celebration!" Sakura stated, a smile on her lips.
The boys all quirked an eyebrow. "Aren't you supposed to be the responsible one?"
"Yeah, but this is a huge payoff! And before the show, I saw this woman who was selling some bread and sausages cheap!"
"Probably for her dogs." Kankurou muttered.
"Hey!" Kiba protested while Naruto laughed again.
"You're just mad at those two dogs that chased you halfway down the city!" Naruto accused.
"What's your point?" Kankurou refused to meet the teen's eyes.
"Regardless," Sakura interrupted, knowing that this would escalate into an argument, "Naruto, go get the food."
Naruto mock-saluted her. "Sir yes ma'am."
Kiba's tattoos stretched with his grin at the slight flare in the girl's emerald eyes as Naruto took a small amount of the coins and set off down the street.