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Other Side of the World

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The next day dawned bright and sunny; the blue sky was clear, and the sun was beating down heavily onto the ground. The air was crisp and fresh, biting cold with the autumn wind. For Naruto, the day couldn't get any better. He was given the all clear from Tsunade, and he was currently waiting for Kakashi to come and take him out of the stuffy office.

Naruto drummed his fingers against the side cupboard, swinging his legs that hung off the side of the high bed. He couldn't wait to get outside! He wanted to feel that biting wind, the smell of decomposing autumn leaves, the crunch of gravel under his feet.

But of course, Kakashi would take his time in fetching him some suitable clothes. Because they lost their luggage in the chase, they have been stuck with the clothes on their backs from that night. Kakashi was the lucky one, though. Tsunade managed the find some of her brother's clothes that somewhat fitted Kakashi, so poor Naruto was left with some smelly, stained garments.

Knowing that his guardian was always late, he sat back with a sigh, staring at the white ceiling. He wanted to go out and see the town. He wanted to see if it was anything like Okutama, with grey pavements and vehicles zooming to and fro. He will miss the small town, but he knew that a new start would be good for him and for Kakashi.

He hoped that the people here wouldn't shun him like they did back in Okutama. He hoped that the story of him killing his parents didn't reach this town, and that maybe he'll have a chance of making real friends.

The doors clicking open pulled him out of his thoughts, and he sat up quickly to see Kakashi smiling with a few bags in his hands.

"Yo, Naruto! Are you ready to go?"

Naruto grinned, jumping up excitedly. "Of course! I'll die if I spend another second in this room!"

"We wouldn't want that now, would we?" Kakashi smirked, handing over a blue bag. Naruto took it and instantly dug inside, pulling out a pair of denim jeans, a black t-shirt, an orange hoody and a pair of black trainers. Grinning widely, he quickly pulled the items on before wrapping his arms around Kakashi's stomach, laying his head on his chest.

"Thank you, Kakashi." He murmured into the soft fabric that covered the taller man's chest.

Kakashi, though startled, chuckled lightly and placed his hands on Naruto's shoulders. "It's alright, Naruto. Really."

Naruto could feel tears prickling in the corners of his eyes, and he quickly began blinking to try to get rid of them. He didn't realise he would get emotional over some clothes. However, for Kakashi to give him the first gift since his parents died… he was just so grateful to the older man. Reluctantly, he pulled back, beaming up at Kakashi. "Can we go now?"

Kakashi ran his fingers through the blonde's thick, unruly hair. "Of course, Naruto. Follow me."

Naruto wasn't sad to be leaving the office, and as they walked out, he closed the door behind them, hoping that he wouldn't end up in that bed again anytime soon. Striding through a maze of hallways and twisting stairs, they finally made it to the outdoors.

Naruto had to pause at the exit, staring in shock at his new hometown.

Konoha was nowhere near the same as Okutama. Instead of the constant cover of grey clouds the sky was a brilliant cobalt blue, and clouds floated by lazily without a care in the world. the boring murky pavements was nothing compared to the cream slabs that covered the floor, and colourful autumn leaves bejewelled the thin branches of the trees and covered the ground in a sea of reds, browns and oranges.

People took no notice of them as they walked through the street, and even if they did, Naruto wouldn't have seen because he was enraptured by the colourful houses that lined the road. They were painted different shades of pastel colours, ranging from pale pink to soft blue. Much to Naruto's disappointment, there were no orange.

Breathing in the cool fresh air, Naruto asked, "What are we doing today, Kakashi?"

"Hmm?" Kakashi was too captured by the sheer beauty of the town. "Oh. Well we can't live here without a house now, can we?"

Naruto's eyes widened and excitement bubbled in his stomach. "We're getting a house? That's wicked!"

"I'm glad you think so, Naruto." Kakashi chuckled. "Now come on, I think it's just around here… somewhere."

Grinning, Naruto followed his guardian up a narrow dirt road that broke off from the street. Dense clusters of trees and berry bushes fringed each side, and Naruto could see squirrels running about if he looked closely. They walked for a little while, the bushes becoming more and more wild and the dirt road turning to dusty stones as they travelled further. Soon, Naruto was able to spot a small house poking out from the branches of a large Weeping willow. The long feathery leaves covered the brick house spectacularly, only leaving the far left top and bottom window uncovered.

They followed the path up to the house, both looking around in wonder. The house was surrounded by trees, lovely and hidden from the town's people. Kakashi could already see them living there. The house was perfect. It was nice and secluded from wondering eyes, and hopefully no one would find them here.

"What do you think, Naruto?" Kakashi asked, musing up his charge's blonde locks with his hand.

"It's brilliant," Naruto replied, voice more breathy than normal. He looked up into his guardian's mismatched eyes. "Can we go in?"

"Have patience, little one." Kakashi smirked, giving Naruto a playful clip around the ear. "We have to see if Lucy will be kind enough to show us around."

Naruto nodded and followed Kakashi up the path towards the red painted door. His guardian rang the bell, and a soft tune echoed out. After a minute or so, the door opened and a small, plump woman with bouncy red hair and a blue cooking apron around her waist smiled at them.

"Why hello there!" she greeted. He voice held a touch of an Irish accent. "You must be Kakashi. Come in, come in!"

Smiling at the woman's eagerness, they were ushered into the bright hallway before Lucy closed the door behind them.

The hallway was a daffodil yellow, and pale oak flooring ran throughout the house. Kakashi slipped off his shoes and places them neatly on the shoe rack, Naruto copying him.

They trailed after Lucy as she led them to the kitchen, both looking around curiously. The scent of freshly baked cookies hung heavily in the air, making the house smell sweet and friendly.

The kitchen had the same oak flooring from the hallway, but the walls were a lime green with cream and black tiles.

Lucy turned to face them. "Welcome to my home," she greeted happily. "I hope you will find what you are looking for here.

"The house is around seventy years of age, and has belonged to my family ever since it was first built. The reasons why I want to sell it are mainly because my partner has recently moved to America, and I'll soon be moving there and I simply can't keep this house as well.

"This house has now been on sale for a few months, and I recently lowered the price to get more buyers. Sadly, no one was interested and so moving to America has been prolonged much longer than I would have hoped. I hope that you will take care of the place for me."

Naruto frowned. Why did she tell Kakashi to take care of the house? Weren't they only looking?

"The house has no garden, however it is on its own land, and so all the grass until the forest is yours. The area is quiet and secluded, and you also have no neighbours to worry about. Additionally, there is a lovely lake about a half hour's walk from here through the forest, and it's perfect for a swim in the summer. I'm sure you will like it, Naruto.

"Now, would you like a tour?"

Still trying to process all the information, Naruto gave a nod, and they both followed Lucy throughout the house.

The living room was a warm, deep red, and a burning fireplace stood magnificently in the centre of the far wall. Chocolate brown leather sofas were pushed against two other walls, both able to see the flat screen TV above the fireplace.

"The house comes with everything you see," Lucy explained, smoothing down her apron. "You pay no extra for the furniture."

Upstairs, there were two bedrooms and a bathroom. The first bedroom was the master, large and bright with a double bed in the middle. The walls were a duck egg blue, and the curtains and bed sheets matched.

The second bedroom was slightly smaller, and much to Naruto's delight, it was a bright copper orange. A double bed was in the same position as the last room, and instead of drapes, a wooden blind covered the window.

Kakashi chuckled from behind him. "Do you like it?" he asked with a smirk.

Naruto nodded enthusiastically, grinning brightly.

"That's good," the silver-haired man mused. "Because this is your new room."

"What?" Naruto said as he turned to his guardian, a shocked look on his face. "You mean this is our house? Really?"

"No," Kakashi replied. "I thought I'd let you live here with Lucy until it got a seller." He watched as the sparkle disappeared from the blonde's eyes and a crestfallen look overtook the shock.

"Oh…"

"Oh Naruto," Kakashi sighed, running his fingers through the blonde unruly hair. "Do you really think I would leave you with a stranger?"

Realisation broke across Naruto's face, and a dry chuckle escaped his lips. "You really need to work on your jokes, Kakashi. Your humour is terrible."

Kakashi rolled his eyes. "That it is, Naruto. That it is."

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After a few tiring hours of looking around, Naruto and Kakashi found themselves curled up on one of the chocolate sofas in the living room, both cradling a cup of hot tea in their hands. Lucy sat opposite them, her cheeks rosy and a large kind smile on her face.

"Thank you for all this, Lucy." Kakashi said, taking a sip of his hot beverage. "I appreciate you taking time out of your busy day to show us around your marvellous home."

"No worries, no worries, Kakashi. It was my pleasure to show you around. I never expected to get such a great response to my house!" she turned to Naruto. "You know, as soon as Kakashi saw this house the other day, he wanted to buy it,"

"Really?" the boy asked, curiousness seeping into his voice.

"Aye," Lucy nodded. "Something just drew you in, right Kakashi?"

Kakashi started, not expecting the blue gaze that landed on him. "Hai. It just feels like home. Dou you feel it too, Naruto?"

"Yes," Naruto grinned. "When can we move in?"

Lucy laughed, her red hair bouncing on her shoulders. "You're an eager little one, aren't you? Well, my flight to America is set for this Saturday, so you can move in then, if you so wish."

Naruto turned wide eyes to Kakashi, the irises large and blue. "Can we, Kakashi? Please?"

"Naruto, even if I said no, Tsunade would kick us out anyway." He rolled his eyes, but Naruto could see the mirth that danced in his miss-matched eyes.

Naruto laughed, literally bouncing in his seat. Even though they were only a few good hours away from his own town, he felt he was on the other side of the world, and he loved it.

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Yes, a new chapter! I like this one, and I have no idea why. It was fun to write ^.^

Also, like I said in the last chapter, if there is something pacific you want to happen between certain characters, tell me and I'll try to fit it in! I'd love to hear your thoughts on where you want this story to be going :)

Next chapter should be up in a week or so!