acknowledges | ic contact

[Ah... now he feels embarrassed somehow...]

Anyway- I didn't call you so you had to cheer me up or anything. I just wanted to say thanks. I'm not really used to getting presents like this.

You're welcome.

[ cute tho ]

Is that right? That's a shame. What sort of things do you like? [ he loves presents... he'll keep these things in mind for the future!! ]

I'm not sure. [He sounds thoughtful enough when he says it, arms crossed and brows knitted together. Growing up without parents or friendships meant there had been no holidays or celebrations to be surrounded by others to to exchange gifts with. And then he'd been a pretty uncool guy, and once people had started noticing him he'd just been preoccupied by training- then the war came.

This is the first time he's ever considered anything like it.]

What kinda stuff do people normally give as presents?

[ What kind of life had Naruto led, for him not to be familiar with the concept of presents? It reminds him of himself as an adolescent, and it’s not a happy thought. But he’s excited to share the possibilities, now. ]

Food is usually a safe bet. Most people like sweets of some kind, or if you’re good at cooking, anything that tells the other person “I handmade this with love” is sure to be a hit. You can also give clothing, jewelry, or cute ornaments! If you want to go the extra mile, it’s usually worthwhile finding out what the person likes or is passionate about, and giving them a gift according to their interests.

To start with, what do you like to do for fun?

I'm a shinobi, so I guess I train most of the time. I like doing it, but somehow I don't think people here would really think of that as fun...

What do you do?

That doesn't matter, as long as you think it's fun, I think it counts. [ It's pretty hardcore, but whatever brought him happiness! ] But, what's a shinobi? A term for a special type of fighter or soldier, I assume?

As for myself, I like music. Either making music myself or listening to others play and sing. I also like poetry, jewelry, fine clothes, and wine. If I had to pick one type of food I like over others, it would probably be anything spicy.

I'm a first class ninja! [He's never hesitated to say it brightly, but that's because he's proud of that fact. It's all he's ever wanted to be- to become a ninja so strong that he would be acknowledged by everyone and come to lead Konoha.] All my friends are too, we protect our village!

I don't think I know anybody else that makes music though... actually, it seems like everybody spends their time training- though one of my teachers wrote a lot of books.

[Lightbulb moment.]

Oh! Are you some kinda prince or something? Since you like lots of fancy stuff.

That's impressive! Are any of your friends here, in Enprise?

[ Well, truthfully, he doesn't know what a ninja is, either, but "we protect our village" is all he needs to hear to know that his hunch about Naruto was right.

He shakes his head. ]

No, I was a pirate, once upon a time, but I also protected my home town. [ Because sometimes, as was too often the case, it was the ruling class that made life miserable for the people. ]

Yeah yeah two of them are! Though Sakura-chan and Sasuke are both lots older than me now, 'cause they're from my future.

[There's a moment of consideration, where he's trying to draw a comparison.]

A pirate...does that mean you and your friends were on boats and stuff? Are any of them here too?

Eh? Sakura and Sasuke? I had no idea they were from the same world as you, Naruto. [ It probably didn't help that the generational difference made the connection even stranger, because even though Jae-ha was aware now that people could be pulled from different points in time, that was a shockingly drastic gap in time. ] I met both of them, though honestly, I can't imagine how strange it is to see them so much older now...

[ He laughs. "Boats and stuff" is a good way of putting things. ]

No, I left that life behind sometime ago. I do have friends here, but it was because of them, or rather, the girl we've come to serve, that I left Port Awa and started traveling the country with her.

[It's easily, ultimately, for Naruto to forget about himself- not because he makes a decision to be self-sacrificing but because of his innate curiosity about others- the desire to learn and understand.

Jae-ha presents a new and unfamiliar puzzle for him. He's never met a pirate before and has no frame of reference from Konoha for what the man describes. But he has met all kinds of people since he's been here so it's clear that something Jae-ha describes strikes a chord.]

The girl you serve?

Oh oh! Like how Hime-chan's got people around her? Are you some kinda bodyguard now?

Something like that, I suppose. [ He's not a big fan of the description, but he's past the point of denying anymore. What else do you call someone who's pledged their life and power to protect a princess. ]

It's funny that you mention Sakura, though. She reminds me a lot of Princess Yona, so I guess that's why I'm so drawn to her. She doesn't have any shortage of people looking after her well-fare-- I'm told she even has her retainer here now, and her siblings.

And now, you. But that's not a bad thing. I know that she's just as prepared to protect you, or any of her loved ones, as they look after her.

[This is his first real experience with princesses and in that regard, Naruto has little to work with in terms of expectation.]

Is it hard for you t'be away from Princess Yona? Or does she wanna protect people too?

Both of those things are true.

[ It was difficult, and the whole reason they follow and protect her is because she wants to better her country, to protect her people from hardship and violence. ]

Back in your own village, the one that you said you and your friends help protect… who do you serve, other than the people? [ What he’s getting at is: if not royalty, who do these warriors take orders from? ]

I guess really we're all protecting the village. The Hokage's not royal or anything, but though it's our leader, they're protecting the village too. It's just in a different way.

[The title will always have special meaning to him. It's the role Naruto has aspired to since childhood. It's one that so many of his mentors had held and one that even his father had.]

Actually the Hokage's the one who protects everyone- who walks first, yanno?

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