Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

I never put that in my author's note, but I see people do it all the time, so I thought I would start adding that into it. Hey, my name is Emma and thanks for clicking on my story! I think I might edit my bio and add some facts about me. Lame, I know, but whatever.

Anyway, I have wanted to write this story for the longest time and now I have finally typed it all up! I have a bunch more ideas that I plan on writing ASAP but I'm a major procrastinator. Okay, that's enough of an author's note. On to the chapter!

I watch as the clouds loom over the active village; the darkness seeping into the light as if it's going to storm. Not that I care. The rain won't affect me for I don't have anything planned. In fact, all I ever do is sit in my room underneath the castle roof. Mom says it's not safe for me to go outside. I don't deny the fact that whenever someone spots me I get shrouded, but it would still be nice to leave the castle walls every once in a while. I can't remember the last time I have ever left.

I envy the laughter that rings through my room as the children chase each other through the streets. I just want someone to laugh with, someone that isn't royalty; someone who isn't cooped up in this place just like me. I want to smell the baked goods that waft through the air. I've tasted food from the bakery, and it tastes like heaven on Earth.

I'm not complaining that I don't have anyone to talk to. My mother, father and I chat up a storm every once in a while. But, they're usually too busy for their only child. The servants mean well, but even they don't stay for more than 30 seconds.

Then of course I have my friends from other kingdoms that I communicate with. Like Gaara, for example. He lives too far away for us to actually do anything, but I get a phone call every once in a while. And the Hyugas are close friends. Neji is very distant though, and his cousin Hinata doesn't talk much. Whenever she sees me, she squeals and hides behind her father. Don't know what her deal is.

Anyway, my point is, I'm tired of being royalty. That's all anyone seems to see me as. I mean, yes, that's exactly what I am, but when people see me, I don't want to hear, "Oh, your majesty," or, "Your royal highness." My name is not 'majesty' or 'royal highness'. My name is Naruto Uzumaki: son of Minato and Kushina and I want people to recognize me for me. Not for what I was born into.

"Sire, it's about time for you to eat," a man peeks into my room.

"Could you please knock next time? And stop calling me sire. My name's Naruto."

"Of course, sire. I mean, Naruto." The man quickly closes the door shut and scatters back to his quarters. I flop down on my bed and blow on a strand of blonde hair that continues to fall on my eye. Meals are some of the worst occasions I could ever come to encounter. Why? Because my parents are like every other planet on this universe and they constantly like to use the question: "How was your day, son?" Now, don't ask me why they continue to pester me with the same question, because I could never tell you the answer for their parental logic makes no sense to the teenage mind. You may ask why this is such a horrible thing to occur. Well, considering I do nothing but sit around all day, I would say that hearing the same question over and over would get rather annoying. Especially when you have the same answer every single time.

I rise from my comfortable position because I know that if I don't arrive on time, my father will not be pleased with me. He has other things to do, so he likes to at least have 3 occurrences a day where he can see his – sometimes – smiling family.

Running down the hall, I turn and skip down a flight of stairs, walking into the dining room where my two parents await me. "Glad you could make it son," my father greets me. I nod and sit down across from my mother. The table length continues down a couple feet with 6 more chairs on each side and then another at the end of the table; just like the one my father now sits in.

The retainers lay plates down in front of us with a glass filled with sparkling grape juice. At least that's what my glass carries. I'm not old enough to indulge in alcohol.

The smell of warm bread fills the air and I inhale deeply. A basket of rolls gets laid in front of me and I swear I drool. I'm not allowed to touch anything till everything is laid out on the table. Yet another rule to add to the many that control my life.

Finally, but not quickly enough, a woman dressed in white lays down the last of the meal and the servants, that placed our entrée before our eyes, bow and then exit the room, leaving us in peace. I snatch up a roll and rip it open; pressing the warmth up to my nose and taking in the smell. I need to head down to the bakery at least once in my life and tell the bakers how much I love their food.

I finish off my meal by grabbing a spoonful of hot green beans. My father, mother, and I dig into the food that our kind retainers have cooked for us. Before speaking, my father takes another bite of his steak. "So, son, how has your day been?" And here we go.

"Same as usually, dad; incredibly boring," I take a swig of my grape juice.

"Now, I think you can solve that problem of yours. There are plenty of things to do in this kingdom."

"You do realize that I can't go anywhere but the castle in this 'kingdom', right?"

"Naruto," my mother calmly says. She knows that I have a short temper. She knows me the best. And most of all, she knows that I hate being cooped up here all my life.

"Naruto, please. This castle is your home. You don't need to leave. There's nothing but people who want money from you out there. I'm just trying to protect you."

"Well, I don't need protecting," I stand up. "I think that I can defend myself fine. I wouldn't know because I have only ever left these walls maybe 5 times and 4 of those times were with you or mom. I want to go out in the real world! I want to have friends that aren't rich, that aren't royalty. I want to feel the rain splat against my skin instead of watching two droplets race down my window. I want to meet the people that live in the village. I want to say hello to the people that work at the bakery and tell them just how delicious their goodies are. I want to have company other than servants or you guys. I want to have some adventure. I want to do something fun." I stare at my dad with an open mouth; my breathing trying to get back to the regular heartbeat. My dad is silent. I look in his blue eyes, just trying to find a hint of what he might be thinking.

"Naruto, please go to your room," my dad's head tilted downwards; averting from my eyes. "I don't want to discuss this with you right now. If you're not going to eat and you're just going to complain, then please leave the dinner table. I don't need the weight of the kingdom and your complaints resting on my shoulders." I close my mouth and push my plate away from my seat.

"Whatever you say, father," I mumble, walking out of the dining room, back up the stairs, and straight to my room.

Collapsing back on my bed, I stare at the ceiling. Why doesn't he understand that the castle life just isn't right for me? Does he not remember what it was like to be a kid? Does he not get that there are so many things you can do in one place for 16 years before there's nothing left? I grab a pillow and press it against my face so my scream is muffled. That was very teenage girl of me.

7 knocks in a rhythmic pattern come from my door. That's my mom's secret knock. "Come in," I announce, shifting my body so my back faces the doorway. I hear the faint sound of footsteps approach me. A small weight sinks the mattress just slightly which causes my body to move. "Naruto, please look at me," my mother's voice echoes throughout the room. I sigh and turn around, looking at my mom's grayish blue eyes.

"What?"

"Why do you insist on antagonizing your father? You know that he doesn't like getting upset with you and being unfair, but sometimes, Naruto, you leave him with no choice."

"Sorry that I have an opinion, mom."

"Please don't talk to me that way."

"Okay. Sorry. I just don't like being stuck in my room all day. I want to go outside and enjoy the fresh air."

"Naruto, I understand where you are coming from," my mom speaks.

"I know you do," I cut her off.

"But your father is right. You are in this castle so that you are protected from anyone who might try to hurt you. I wouldn't want anything happening to you and neither would your father. One day, I will take you out to the garden in the back yard. Me. Not some servant that is out there by force, but you can spend the day with me. Does that sound good?" Of course I want to spend more time with my mother, but I would rather not spend those hours in the garden. Couldn't she have offered to take me out to the village?

"Sure, mom. That sounds wonderful," I manage a smile. She grins so wide that her eyes close shut. She leans down and kisses me on the forehead before getting up from the mattress.

"Try and get some sleep. I love you," she whispers; standing at the door.

"I love you, too." My mother smiles once again before sealing the door shut and leaving me alone in my room once again. If my mom thinks that I am not going to try and leave this dumb palace then she doesn't know me at all. No way am I going to let my father and her rule my life. I'm done listening to every single rule that they announce. I'm done being known as nothing but the son of royalty. I want to be my own person. And I'm going to find someone that will think nothing but that of me. I am going to find someone who doesn't judge me for what I was born into, but for who I am on the inside. That's what I want. Nothing more, nothing less.

Of course leaving won't be an easy task. This mission calls for a disguise and an escape plan. I rummage through my drawers and pull out a pair of shades. Heading over to the closet, I pull out a pair of worn out jeans, some converse, and an orange hoodie. Now I just need to figure out where and when I should leave.

Father is in the office during the morning and the afternoon, but I need to show up for breakfast and lunch. My mom usually wanders the castle for most of the day, so pinpointing where she's at is an important aspect of this plan.

I can leave from the back of the palace; weaving through the garden maze and out to the streets. I will probably leave between breakfast and lunch just because my father is out of his office more during the evening. He's a lot more overprotective of me than my mother.

Awesome. I fall back onto my comfy mattress and sigh in relief. Tomorrow is the day that I finally leave these walls for the first time in forever. I don't even care that I have to sneak out to do it, or that I am going to be in a disguise. All that matters is that I'm going on an adventure.

Tucking myself in the covers, I curl up into a ball – my normal sleeping position – and drift off into a deep sleep.

I lightly bounce in my seat as I wait for my parents to finish their breakfast. If I leave early, they will suspect something or come looking for me to ask why I just stormed off. My mom glances over at me, and then down at my plate. "Someone was hungry," my mom smiles; swallowing her scrambled eggs.

"I guess that's what happens when you don't eat dinner," I mumble; looking over at my dad. He looks up and the dining room is silent. His face goes completely blank and I smile to myself. He never bothers me while he's mad. Especially when he knows that I am upset at him. My mother shifts in her chair; averting her eyes from the two of us and continuing to eat her meal.

I quietly wait as my parents eat the rest of their breakfast. The sound of silverware clinging against the china is music to my ears. "I'll be in my room," I get up from my seat, kissing my mom on the forehead and running back up to my room.

I pull on the worn out jeans and my orange sweatshirt; slipping my feet into the black converse. I take one last glance at my room before I leave this palace. I can't think of an even better time than this: getting my freedom.

Sliding down the stairs rail, I jump off at the last second and land on the marble floor. The castle is filled with silence. Just the way I want it to be. In a nearby room, I peek in to see my mom and a lady gazing at a gown. A couple doors down, my father's room is locked which means he is busy at work. Time for me to leave.

I tip-toe over to the back entrance that leads out into the garden. I am careful to close the door behind me really quietly. Nobody needs to know where I am going today. And nobody will.

The sunlight shines down on me and I'm happy to inhale the fresh air. Putting on my sunglasses, I walk out into the streets. Chatter fills my ears. Laughter from kids warms my heart. I place a grin on my face and tuck my hands in my pockets. First stop: the bakery.

The shops around here seem so wonderful, and I wish I could visit every single one of them, but I know that I don't have that much time. I have maybe 3 hours to wander this place, and Konoha is a big kingdom.

I make my way over to the bakery; the scent of cakes and bread filling the aroma around me. I think I could marry that smell. "Ah, hello!" a large man welcomes me as I step into the small bakery. "How may I help you, sir?"

"Well . . ." I saunter over to the glass-paned counter and drool over the various choices. "Uhm, can I have a slice of your finest bread, and a blueberry muffin?"

"Sure thing, lad!" The man walks behind the counter and pulls out my muffin and a slice of bread. "That'll be-" I hold up my hand, signaling for him to stop. Then I continue to lay down 20 gold pieces.

"Keep the change," I smile. The baker stares at me in awe.

"Oh, thank you, sir! Thank you very much!" he grins at me. I tilt my head and raise my hand.

"No, thank you." I take a bite of the delicious bread and moan. I might just have to sneak out more often.

The village remains in its lively state. It's nice to be around such happy people. I wish it was like this back home. Without looking, I bump into someone. I wince in pain, but I know it was my fault. "I'm sorry. I don't really have this problem." Looking up, I meet a pair of dark eyes. He smirks, letting out a huff.

"Whatever. Just be lucky this sword didn't stab you," the guy takes a cloth and wipes his sword clean.

"Uhm, yeah, that would be bad," I rub the back of my head.

"So who are you anyway?" This is it; someone who doesn't know me.

"Naruto U-" I pause. If he knew my last name, he wouldn't see me as Naruto. He'd be like every other person that knows my line in royalty. "Naruto. Naruto Uzima," I lie. "Uhm, what about you?"

"Sasuke Uchiha." His inky black hair falls in his eyes and he brushes it away.

"Oh. Your family are the blacksmiths right? You guys are pretty awesome."

"Thanks. I don't really do much. My father and older brother do most of the work." Sasuke gets a far-off look in his black eyes. I wonder what he's thinking about. "I assume you don't get out often if you only got that from the bakery," he points at my food.

"You have no idea," I manage a nervous laugh. "My father never lets me leave the…house, so I just snuck out for once and I'm loving it."

"You should be here during the most depressing days of the year. Then I thank you'd change your mind."

"Depressing days of the year?"

"Wow, you really don't know anything, do you?" Sasuke laughs, and it's not one of the warm laughs you hear from the children. I shake my head, completely oblivious. "Then you're lucky. We have some pretty harsh times during the winter or rough storms. Sometimes we can't get supplies shipped; sometimes people just can't make any sales. We struggle to pay the bills, and sometimes the poor sides of the group are left out on the streets, and they are left with no food. That doesn't really happen as often though. Those people have learned to go out and make money when they can travel. They don't want to starve."

"I've never heard of this before," I gradually get quieter. I wonder if my father knows.

"Just be happy you've never lived it before, either. I've been down that road too many times to count. It's not a pretty sight. It must be nice living in a castle."

"Huh?" I come off as shocked. Does he know?

"You know, the castle?" he points at my home. "The king, queen, and their son? Yeah. They probably don't care that people out here starve. Except for maybe the queen. She gives leftovers to the starving families. I've seen no kind gesture from the king. The prince is about our age, I think. Not like he could do much anyway." Ouch. Never would imagine that people think of us that way.

"I think that might change," I say. Sasuke narrows his eyes slightly, quite confused what I mean by that. He shakes it off and puts the sword back in its casing. "I've gotta go. So, uh, bye."

"Nice meeting you, Sasuke."

"Yeah," he holds up a hand while walking back to his home. I sigh and head back around. Time for me to go back and talk to my dad. If he doesn't know about this, then he needs to find out soon and do something about it.

So I would just like to say that I am extremely proud of myself for actually writing a chapter of 3,000 words. I usually only write 500 worded chapters, but I'm trying to change that. I just finished finals today and now it's Christmas break! *cheers* Merry Christmas to all of you! (Yes I am aware that it's still 5 days away) Thanks for reading, and I really hope I can stick with writing longer chapters. Of course if I do that it will most likely take me awhile to update, so I do apologize to all of my readers. It would mean the world if you reviewed or checked out some of my other stories. (I don't really have any up yet, but I plan on writing a bunch more. Writing fanfiction is my favorite thing to do. Bye-bye! xoxo