"Father? What's going on?"
"It's… it's nothing I want you to worry about Ayame."
"Father… is that… is that Naruto?"
She gasped in horror as her father turned, looking at their favorite costumer in her father's arm lying limp like a rag doll, his head lolled to the side. She was used to seeing him with a scrap here and there being a boy, but the thirteen year old girl had never seen the small five year old like this.
"It is," he nodded gravely, placing the boy on the couch.
"What happened?" she asked with tears pooled in her eyes. He gave her a sad smile.
"Something I fear we could have prevented. But we need to move past that."
"Dad…"
"Ayame, you remember my old student? The boy who I taught how to cook when you were younger?" he asked surprising his daughter.
"Yes… but what does that have to do with anything?" she asked.
"I have asked him to take Naruto with him on his travels."
"Father!"
"I know Ayame. But this village isn't exactly the safest for him," he said.
"What do you mean?" she asked. He gave another sad smile.
"I'm not at liberty to tell you Ayame. It's the law," he said. Before Ayame could retort there was a hollow knock on the door. Teuchi walked over and opened it slowly to see a man he recognized rather easily.
"Come on in," he said letting the man in quickly. He was a peculiar fellow by anyone's standards. He wore a bright orange bomber jacket and dark blue pants. He had messy black hair that stuck out in every direction. But what really stood out were his goggles. They were larger than the typical Aburame goggles and had dual colored lenses. One was a light orange that was over one eye that wouldn't open, or rather, didn't exist, and the other was a darker red color that was over his normal eye. The right side of his face had scars from a long ago injury. Yet an unbelievably bright smile came to his face and his very presence seemed to bring in a bit of joy to the room.
"Teuchi Ojii-san!" he said in a loud yet high pitched voice. Ayame was surprised how young he sounded despite knowing him since she was a young girl, "How are you?"
"I am alright. But my friend… he is not," he said gesturing to the couch where Naruto lay. The dark haired man frowned seeming to take away all the joy he had brought in. He walked over to the child and crouched down to see Naruto up close. He lazily stroked hair out of his closed eyes as if it were his own brother. He noticed the blood that stained his clothes and matting up his hair. His brows furrowed as he also saw various colors of bruises littering his arms.
"What happened?" he questioned darkly. A seemingly rare occurrence from the recently joyous man.
"He was attacked. This village is no longer safe for him. Would you be willing to take him with you when you leave?" Teuchi asked. The dark haired man's face lit up, his smile returning at the prospect of someone accompanying him.
"Really? But this kid… isn't he your best customer?" he asked. Teuchi nodded.
"He's like my own flesh and blood. Like you," he said, "So can you take care of him outside the village?"
The dark haired man smiled, "Just make sure that no one freaks out when he's gone."
With that he opened his jacket and pulled the small boy inside it, still carrying him in his arms. He noticed Ayame's tears and patted her head, moving Naruto in one arm.
"Don't worry. Otouto will be fine. Ayame, don't you want to say bye?" he asked her. Small pools of tears gathered in her eyes began to spill out.
"Be safe Naruto," she said stroking hair out of his eyes, "And you Aniki," she said sniffling in a scolding tone, "you better take good care of him."
"Maa, maa! I'll take care of the little fishcake imouto. And when we return, he'll be making you two a bowl of ramen!" he laughed running out the door to his oddly decorated wooden cart. He placed Naruto on a futon inside and began pulling the wooden home behind him. If he was hurt from a place he had called home then moving out as soon as possible would be the best option.
"Maa, little fishcake, you will see the world and become better than any of the trash here," he said with a smile as he left the village. A cold bitter wind danced into the streets of the city as they left. His smile grew as he began moving faster knowing every step he took would lead to a better life for his newly acquired brother.
-.-
A lone ANBU stood on top of a large apartment scanning for someone. A particular someone who had somehow slipped away from him. The ANBU's mask was that of a wolf, something that suited him just fine. A dark menacing aura emanated off his person as he stood growing tenser realizing that the one he was looking for was not in the vicinity he thought he was. And the strange cold wind wasn't comforting either during what should be the heat of summer.
He shunshined to another location in the city and began running, searching for the boy he had been told to watch. The one he had promised to protect with his life. The one who was now missing.
He mentally cursed as he went all over the village not finding one trace of the little boy. The sun began to rise as he stopped at the ramen shop to see if he had gone there. The boy had an unhealthy love of the noodles just like his father had along with his mother's unbelievable appetite.
"Ah, Wolf was it?" he heard the owner say. He turned his head slightly to acknowledge the man.
"Ah, you wouldn't have happened to see Naruto this morning have you? He seems to be getting rather good at hide and seek," he said nonchalantly. He noticed the man tense ever so slightly.
"Haven't seen him since last night," he answered truthfully.
"Really now?" Wolf asked getting ready to take him in for questioning.
"Dad, Aniki and otouto sent us a letter," Ayame said walking over.
"You have sons?" asked Wolf suspiciously.
"Adopted. My eldest decided to take my youngest on a gourmet tour of the world. He was in Konoha yesterday. I went to meet him right after work. Naruto ran off toward home," he said confidently. It wasn't a lie. It just wasn't the whole truth either.
"Your sons' names are…?"
"Obito and Naru Ichiraku," he said simply. Wolf's heart stopped for a second. Maybe he was looking to into this. Obito was a common enough name as was Naru. Perhaps Naruto was elsewhere in the village.
He really did not want to meet this Obito. He did not want to see the blood.
-.-
"Hn…?" Naruto groaned as he rolled onto his side. His body felt sore and kind of achy, like when he accidently fell asleep on the floor. He heard what sounded like wooden wheels turning. Thinking it was a dream he kept his eyes closed until the ground beneath him shook. He sat up wide awake to notice he was in a wooden room. Like a cart. Things shook once in a while, and bounced when they hit a bump, "WHOA!"
The cart stopped. Naruto heard the scuffle of feet on dirt for a moment before a curtain in front of him opened letting in light and silhouetting the person looking in. Naruto covered his eyes to try and keep some of the blinding morning light out of them when he heard a warm laugh. One that reminded him of the ramen man.
"I see you're awake," the man said. Naruto squinted his eyes as the man jumped in, the curtain falling behind him making it darker in the room but nod blinding Naruto anymore. Naruto blinked at the smiling man.
"Uh… who are you?" he asked scooting back away from the man. The man's smile fell a little.
"Jeez you really haven't had it easy have you? Well that's all going to change. My name is Obito Ichiraku. And I'm your new Aniki Naru."
Possibly. Possibly. I don't know. Maybe good. Maybe crap. I don't know. Meh. Review.