American Konoha 2 (Alt Universe Story)

by TheFemaleReviewer

Remember the first American Konoha? Well, this story is a 'prequel' to that! Instead of Naruto and Sasuke, we've got Hashirama and Madara! Follow the 10th graders in America during the Vietnam War Era as they struggle with understanding their growing feelings for each other and the insane world around them. But that's not all... The ending's a shocker! HashiMada/MadaHashi

1. Chapter 1

American Konoha 2: Year 1974

Author's Note: This little number is a 'prequel' to the first 'American Konoha', which told the story of Naruto and Sasuke and relationship if they lived in America with us in 2014. You don't have to read the first story to enjoy this one because they are only very 'loosely' connected to each other. But this story is set during the Vietnam War Era and it follows a budding 'yaoi' relationship between Hashirama and Madara. Because of a lack of known characters in their storyline, I've compressed Hiruzen Sarutobi/Danzo Shimura's age group with theirs, so you'll see characters from their generation as well! I really hope you like it! I put my HEART and SOUL into this one. Literally.

Hashirama Senju

Meeting Him

"Hey, are you listening to me or what?" He asked, snapping his fingers rudely.

I blinked, taking in the appearance of the boy in front of me.

"I know detention is boring but I didn't think you could lose your mind over it." He went on.

It wasn't that I was spacing out. I was just thinking. Most of what I was thinking about stemmed from his outfit. I hadn't noticed it when I was sitting in class with him earlier that day, most likely, because I was only in there for all of two and a half seconds. But it intrigued me then because, like most of the other kids at school, he wasn't wearing bellbottoms or anything that looked even slightly psychedelic. He was wearing shorts just like I was, which is the kind of thing you can get in trouble for on the first day of school. However, I wasn't the one sitting in detention on the first day of school. He was. I just got dragged into it...

"You look different." I said, beginning to smile. "So, I was just thinking that your Mom probably doesn't pick out your clothes."

He seemed to mentally take a step back. It made him shut up pretty quickly at least.

"So, either your Mom's doesn't give a damn what you do or you're a rebel." I continued. "And from how you acted earlier..."

I trailed off, not needing to verbally say that my second assertion was right and he was probably a rebel...or at least thought he was.

He cocked his head, giving me a tough-guy glare.

"Gee wiz, so I guess you're gonna just write my whole government out on a sheet of paper now, huh?" he asked.

It probably the first time in my life I'd heard someone sound that sarcastic and rude in the same sentence. I couldn't do anything except laugh.

How the hell did I end up in detention on the first day of class anyway...

It was hard to remember. I certainly hadn't planned on it, that was for sure. The morning had started out pretty normal... With Itama complaining as usual...

My younger brother craned his neck to the side as I racked my brain, trying to remember how to tie a tie.

"I don't get why we have to go to a new school." Itama muttered. "It's so bogus."

Tobirama whipped his tie around messily, bent on proving that he didn't need any help.

"We have to, Itama." Tobirama told him. "We're taking school buses now."

"Anybody ever notice how those buses look a lot like prison buses?" I asked.

Tobirama rolled his eyes at me.

"It's a bus, Hashirama. They all look like that."

"But don't the kids going in them just look like they're going to jail?" I asked, grinning at him.

Itama sighed heavily, accidently knocking my hand and making me have to start the loop all over again.

"But I'm really gonna miss all my old friends from L.F Elementary School." He moaned.

"Well, now we go to NorthSide Konoha Junior High." Tobirama said. "Don't be such a spaz."

At the sight of Itama's bottom lip beginning to wobble for about the fiftieth time since we found out we'd be changing schools, Tobirama softened and pat him on the shoulder.

It was obvious to the both of us that the main reason Itama was so nervous was that it had taken him almost the entire time he was at the last school just to make the one friend he had. It was really heavy, but there was nothing any of us could do. Our entire state had to abide by the new busing system. It was the only way the government could think to fully "disintegrate racial barriers".

"Well, look at the bright side Itama." I said to him as I finished tying his necktie for him. "Integrating schools is a lot better than the separate but equal crap they had before. Maybe you could make a friend out of a colored boy?"

Itama raised his tearful dark brown eyes to me. The ones we'd both gotten from our father.

"Dream on, Hashirama." He said.

"Are you boys still in there!?" a voice called.

We all looked up, standing to attention as she sashayed her way into the room wearing a prim and pressed gray skirt with a dark red blouse. She had her wavy white hair pulled into an over the shoulder ponytail as she raised her eyebrows at us.

"Those buses are gonna be outside any minute now!" she frowned, watching Tobirama struggle with his tie. "Give it here."

He yanked his neck away from her.

"I can do it!"

She sighed, raising her hands exasperatedly.

"Fine." She said, pushing him out of the bedroom we all shared together. "Go on."

I moved out of the way as she gripped the handles of Itama's wheelchair and pushed him out of the room straight into the living room of the two-bedroom apartment we had.

"Alright, boys, you're riding two different buses. Tobi, you're going to ride the bus with the wheelchair lift with Itama. The bus stop is right out front."

His face exploded into that of disbelief.

"What?!" he exclaimed. "But that bus has a bunch of retards on it!"

She slapped Tobirama in the back of his head, but not nearly as hard as she should've...

"Don't be such a spaz, Tobi." I joked, mocking him.

He rolled his eyes as he grabbed the handles of Itama's wheelchair.

"Don't forget about Little League tryouts today, Mom." Tobirama said as he walked out. "I've been practicing all summer for it."

But I doubted she was listening, she had her hands in the garbage can picking through the trash, most likely because she accidently threw her keys away...again. When she found them, she tossed them onto the counter and then, after standing there with a blank expression for like twenty minutes, emotion exploded onto her face and she suddenly jumped up.

"Wait, wait! Don't forget your lunches!" She exclaimed.

She ran to the refrigerator, pulled out two brown paper bags and handed it to me.

"Here, go after them, please!"

"Sure, but Hisa...?"

She turned as she was headed toward the back of the house where the station wagon was.

"Not wearing shoes today?" I asked, grinning.

She looked down at her bare feet and smacked her forehead.

"Ah! Thanks! It's just that...you know, the next couple of months at the hospital are gonna be a bit stressful for me. All those radiation complaints, you know? It's like the gates of hell over there. And all those odd hours. " she said this as she ran to the backdoor and slipped a pair of black heels on which clicked firmly against the wooden floor. "Not to mention the night job I just got in the town over..."

She muttered on about something else, continuing to walk toward the backdoor which led into our one-car garage.

"And Hisa...?" I said again.

She turned, breathlessly. "Yeah?"

I continued grinning as I picked the keys up off the counter top.

"Jeepers Creepers! I was going to forget that, too?" she exclaimed, white hair swinging as she ran over. "God, Hashirama, what would I do without you?"

It's not like Hisa was a bad Mother or anything, she just always had her brain a million different places after she had to get two jobs.

She threw her arms around me in a deep hug and then stuffed her hand into her pocket.

"And oh, oh, before I forget, here's lunch money. Now, hurry! Before their bus leaves!"

I nodded as she tenderly cupped my cheek in her hand.

"And please don't make any trouble at school today, Hashirama. I really won't have time to pick you up from detention."

It was just my luck, really, the woman couldn't remember her own damn keys and somehow she never seemed to forget to scold me.

I smiled widely.

"I promise, Hisa, no fake." I said, crossing my heart.

She gave me one of her rare stern looks and nudged me in the direction of the front door. I walked out, deciding it would just scatter her brain more if I reminded her that Tobirama didn't want to eat home lunches anymore anyway.

I caught my younger brothers just as the bus pulled around the corner and gave them the brown paper bags. Tobirama took one look in the bag and the look on his face almost had me on the way to a hospital, dying of laughter.

"She forgot the sandwich again." He muttered. "What the heck kind of lunch doesn't have a sandwich?"

"Yeah, yeah... Next time make your own." I told him.

Because high school started later than junior high, I had some time to spare before my bus came. I watched Tobirama get on with Itama to make sure he didn't shine it off at the last second. Tobi wasn't a mean kid or anything but he was going to the eighth grade, that year in life where you'd even shine off your disabled baby brother if it meant it'd make you look rad.

I walked away from the bus stop, crossing my drive way again just as Hisa backed up. She glanced at me, seeming to really look at me for the first time and shook her head.

"What in God's name are you wearing?" she asked me.

I sighed over-dramatically.

"Stop dippin' in my Kool-Aid, Hisa!" I exclaimed, more for comedic purpose than actually being upset by it.

Her expression only turned more incredulous as the seconds passed.

"What happened to those KickFlares I bought you?" She finally inquired.

I laughed.

"They're bellbottoms, Hisa, and I let Tobirama wear them." I said.

I didn't really like those style of jeans too much, even though basically everyone in the entire country had at least three pairs. I was kind of short for someone going to the tenth grade. I was just slightly taller than Tobirama who was a good two and a half years younger than me, so I preferred clothes that didn't make my height look more obvious.

She shook her head and continued backing down the drive-way.

"Whatever, Hashirama... You want to look like a hippie, fine with me..." She muttered, whipping the wagon down the road.

That was another good thing about Hisa. Even though she got on my case for the most obnoxious things, at the end of the day, she didn't really give a damn what I did either way. I could walk around with the McDonalds golden arches stapled to forehead and she would have probably told me to "Get real" but would've let me do it anyway.

It only took me around five hours to find the high school bus stop after I realized Hisa forgot to tell me where the stop was. I just barely got there in time before it pulled off.

Everyone around me were people I didn't recognize but, strangely, most of them seemed to know each other really well. I had a group of pretty close friends at my old school but we were all pretty certain we'd never see each other again after being sent to different districts. I didn't really take it too much to heart though. My old friends didn't really mirror my outlook on life well. For one thing, they all mostly spent their Saturdays passing cocaine laced weed around a bong or coming up with new ways to "fuck the establishment"...like streaking down the main road.

I glanced out of the window, suddenly very interested as I watched a line of protesters walk by.

An old man held up a sign that said:

"END VIETNAM NOW..."

A college-aged looking girl held up another sign next to him saying:

"OR WE'RE ALL FUCKED!"

I snickered.

Geez, that was another thing. Every day there was something new about all these protestors.

"Damn, hippies..." a kid in the seat in front of me said.

He frowned as he pressed his nose against the window, his dark brown hair fell over his face.

"If I had my Dad's pistol, I bet I could pick 'em all off in like...five seconds."

A boy in a seat further up laughed.

"Dream on, Danzo!" He told him.

My snickering expression faded away.

And then there were assholes like him who spent their time hating on the only interesting thing going on in that city.

But fast-forward to how I actually ended up having to stay for an hour after school on the first day of class. It was one of the biggest high school buildings in the district, rightly so, so it took me about six weeks just to find my damn home-room. And then, only by God's grace, the teacher had just started. I walked in looking like clearest new student a deer in headlights ever saw.

"Excuse me." the teacher said.

And just by that one sentence, I knew I was going to have a rough time.

"Sorry, it's just that this school is like three times the size of Jupiter and I would've looked like a square carrying a map so I chucked it." I told him.

Some of the kids in the class snickered.

The teacher blinked at me, completely unimpressed.

"Tardiness is not accepted in this classroom." He said, then, after staring at me with his glasses lowered on his nose for like five hours, he finally took out his record book.

"Your name is?" he asked.

"Hashirama Senju." I replied. "I know, it's pretty trippy, but I promise, my parents are both narcs."

The class practically exploded with laughter at that one until he looked up, giving them that angry death glare, and everyone whipped into silence quick as lightning.

He ticked my name off and pointed to a chair.

"Sit, please."

I took my backpack, walking toward a chair in the second row. A kid with black hair had his feet in the chair and moved them as I got close. He was staring at me pretty hard so I grinned at him as I sat down.

"Sup."

He stared at me for a moment longer and then turned his head forward, opting to say nothing.

"Okay, class, I am... Mr. Uzumaki." He said, writing his name out on the board. "And this is your homeroom, or better known as, 10th Grade Civics."

He walked center to the class, and leaned back against his desk.

"In some of my earlier classes, I got criticized by my students for being too harsh or serious." He said.

"I never would've guessed..." I mumbled.

"And well..." he said, seeming to seriously ponder it. "I suppose there were a couple of incidents where the entire class was sitting in detention for about three or four hours after school..."

Everyone's facial expressions quickly lapsed into despair.

"But because of effectiveness, I devised a new plan this year. We're doing a buddy system. Meaning, instead of everyone in the class being responsible for everyone else, you're only responsible for one person. The person to your left."

Everyone looked left. And, of course, because the black haired kid was sitting next to a wall, he had to look right, which he didn't, probably because he didn't want to make eye contact with me, but it was clear he was my "buddy".

The teacher began droning on about other things, mainly protocol, what to do if he's not in class for some reason, how to act if he leaves momentarily, what we should read if he doesn't directly assign homework... Boring crap all teacher talk about to save their own asses. I glanced over at the black haired kid sitting at his desk discreetly drawing fighter planes on his notebook cover and making explosion sounds as he drew each of them letting off their cargo.

Through the window behind him, I could see City Hall in plain sight, there were tents around, doing a bit more than symbolizing the people who had probably been protesting there all night long. A couple of American Flags waved outside of the school in the wind, the ones in front of City Hall were torn...

"...Such as World War II, the war to end all wars, or even the war we're in now, the Vietnam War. Now, does anyone know why we're in the Vietnam war?"

I was surprised to see the black haired kid look up from his doodles and slowly raise his hand.

"Yes?" Mr. Uzumaki asked.

He hesitated for a moment, very strangely, glancing over at me before he finally replied.

"To stop the spread of communism."

"Good job, Madara. A plus for you." He said, nodding at him. "Now, as I'm sure you're all aware, communism..."

He wrote the word out on the board.

"Is sinful, spiteful, and evil!" he told us, as he crossed the word out in a big X. "And for all intensive purposes we'll never use that word or even mention the people who worship that horrid way of thinking ever in this classroom."

He adjusted his tie which had gone awry with the vigor with which he spoke.

"We are Americans! That means many things but first and foremost it means that we are the saviors... The peacekeepers of the world..." he walked around all of the desks, looking at us intently. "So, we must! I repeat, must! Save the rest of the developing, third world from making mistakes as evil and devilish as succumbing to communism, now-"

"That's not right." A voice spoke up.

Everyone slowly turned to my direction. I followed their eyes, turning to look at him, the same boy sitting against the wall next to the window. He was gripping his pencil, giving Mr. Uzumaki a hard stare-off.

"We're in war because we're all idiots."

"Excuse me?" he asked.

I hated the way adults always talked to kids like there was no way in hell we ever could be on his plane of thinking. Get off your high horse.

"We're murdering people who are trying to achieve peace the same way we are." He mumbled.

Seeing that half of the class probably hadn't heard him, he raised his voice.

"Going to war to prevent the spread of communists, is like killing people for banning guns to stop school shootings. What's the point if we're all shooting for the same end goal? Peace."

"Boy, communists aren't trying to achieve anything except death and destruction and disorder-"

"I bet in the S.U the commies say the same thing about us. That we're all evil and blood-thirsty. This war is just a result of people being closed-minded and not communicating." He retorted,

"Don't you dare raise your voice to me." Mr. Uzumaki responded.

But he wasn't even raising his voice. The teacher was clearly not used to being challenged and wanted to put a stop to it and still keep his pride as quickly as possible. The only problem was...that Madara kid looked like he was more prideful than the damn teacher.

"And if you keep teaching kids that they're all evil, you're creating a world where no one will ever try to understand anyone and we'll all just go back to war again-"

"Boy, if you value your grade and your future, I highly advise you-"

"Just admit it." He interrupted. "You know there isn't a point to this war, either, and we'll never win. That's why you're mad, you're just scared!"

Christ, if that kept going on, he was going to get himself in some real trouble, talking like that... And not even just with the teacher, but with the whole friggin' superintendent. I couldn't let him crash and burn like that...especially since I completely agreed with every word he was saying...

I started clapping suddenly, slowly, and then I picked up the pace. It distracted the kid, making him and everyone else look at me. I stood up.

"Wasn't that the gnarliest commie impersonation you've ever seen!?" I exclaimed. "Give this dude a round of applause, man. You all fell for it!"

Everyone in class was silent for a beat, thinking about it, but then they all burst into laughter and started clapping and whooping and hollering.

"An...impersonation?" Mr. Uzumaki asked, looking at us both tentatively.

The Madara kid glanced at me with a wary expression. I nodded at him meaningfully and then, needing no more hints, he turned to the teacher and smirked, pulling off the best "I just screwed you over" face anyone has ever seen in creation.

"Psyche." He said.

At least he was quick on his feet...

"We totally fooled you, man." I went on. "Had you thinking you were talking to Stalin himself!"

Then, even the big, bad Mr. Uzumaki cracked a smile as the class burst with laughter.

"Well, alright now... Go on and settle down."

I took my seat again as the hyper mood and amusement began to dissipate.

"But there's a time and place for jokes." Mr. Uzumaki said. "Detention. Both of you."

"What?!" I exclaimed.

"Yes, detention, three hours after school today. I promise you can be class clowns all you want there."

It wasn't like it really mattered much anyway. I was his "buddy", so if things persisted and he got detention all on his own, I would've had to stay after with him, too. In that kind of situation, I felt like I picked the best option...going out with a bang. Besides, at least he wasn't expelled.

He walked up to the chalkboard and quickly wrote our names down, which he terribly misspelled probably on purpose.

"And if anyone wants to join them go ahead and assist someone in impersonating a commie." he exclaimed.

The class was dead silent. He pointed at me.

"Now, both of you, go stand outside for the remained of the class."

I hadn't been in there for less than ten seconds but I got up, grabbed my backpack, and walked out anyway with the Madara kid right behind me. Before I left, I glanced at the teacher.

"I'm digging the Hitler-stache." I said, pointing to his facial hair. "Looks rad."

The entire class boomed with laughter before Mr. Uzumaki, with the reddest and angriest face I'd ever seen a teacher sport, slammed the door in my face. He slammed it so hard, some of the picture frames outside of the class wobbled.

And that was how I ended up in detention with the best "buddy" a guy could ever ask for... The same kid who got an A-plus for a perfect textbook answer and then screwed it all up by having to bring college-level philosophy into a tenth grade civics class. Madara Uchiha.

"I'll give you the skinny on it, if you're really that pressed." He said to me as we sat down in the empty classroom. "Wearing those jeans make me feel like I'm wearing a damn one-sie, so I avoid them. It has nothing to do with me being a rebel or a bastard."

Then he looked me up and down.

"But at least, I'm not wearing board shorts."

I grinned, discovering the guy could actually be funny.

"You're a jackass." I said, sliding out of my chair and standing up.

I extended my hand to him.

"Nice to meet you."

"I can't really say the same. We're not necessarily meeting under good conditions." He said, motioning to the board which still had our names scribbled on it but then he grabbed my hand and shook it anyway.

I laughed.

"I'm totally zen, dude. Meeting is meeting, no matter where or how it happens."

He was silent for a while. I looked down at the bright blue, high-topped Nike Blazer's he was wearing. I'd seen a commercial for them earlier that week. Limited edition and all. I began to doubt my prior assertion to him not having a stable home. How could he have gotten such expensive kicks otherwise? He had his tube socks rolled down so that they didn't extend past the tops of his sneakers. He had on a blue Coca-Cola t-shirt that was faded, looking like he had it for a long time, and his black shorts extended a bit past his knees, meaning they were too big for him.

"The move you pulled in class earlier..."

I expected him to say it was ridiculous or I deserved getting kicked out or something similar but he looked at me seriously, long, black wavy hair falling over his shoulder and said:

"...Why did you do it?"

I didn't even have to think about it.

"I was just trying to save you from becoming 'public enemy number one'." I replied, grinning. "Did you actually think a 10th grade teacher was going to be able to understand all that morale shit you were spouting?"

He avoided my eyes and said nothing. My smile faded as I chose that moment to be slightly more serious than I had been.

"But I guess the main reason is that... I understood what you were saying loud and clear."

His eyebrows rose as he turned to me. And strangely, it felt like he was looking at me for the first time. We stared at each other for a moment. And then he sighed, pointing to the door.

"Anyway, I'm blowing off this detention shit. I got somewhere to be." He mumbled. "So, as I was saying earlier, but you were too spaced to hear... Let's just leave."

And that surprised the hell out of me but he was already out of his chair, walking.

I picked up my backpack walking after him.

"The buses all left already." I said to him. "How are you getting home?"

"I didn't take a bus here." He told me.

I raised my eyebrows.

"Yeah, right, you're psychin' me out." I said. "For one, ants are taller than you, there's no way you have a car."

"Shut-up!" He retorted. "As if you're any taller!"

He crossed his arms.

"And besides, it's a not a car."

We hopped down the staircase, dodging teachers, and cheesier kids who were already kissing ass on the first day. We walked out to the student parking lot, where people were snuffing out cigarettes or lighting some, and dudes were already trying to get fresh with chicks they just met.

"It's a two-wheeler."

My eyebrows popped up as we approached a fire-hot, red painted, patent leather, BEAST of a 1968 Harley Davidson I'd ever seen in my life.

"That's blazin!" I exclaimed.

He smirked.

"Finally got your eyes checked, huh?"

He swung his leg over, hopping onto it. I momentarily questioned whether he had a motorcycle riding permit but was distracted as it reeved to life. He shook his hair back, reaching into a front pocket to pull out a pair of thin rimmed, yellow-tinted sunglasses which he fitted over his face. Everything was child's play up to that point. I mean, the guy even had a friggin' Harley Davidson. There was absolutely no way he wasn't a rebel.

"...Can I come with?" I asked. "I live kinda far... And besides, I don't want the folks finding out I got landed in detention on the first day of class."

I decided not to mention the fact that it was his fault that I got detention anyway so he basically owed me.

He turned to me, and with his sunglasses on, I couldn't tell what his eyes looked like, so it seemed like he was just glaring at me.

"I have better things to do than tow around hippie's." He remarked.

And, it didn't come as a surprise to me that he was a self-deserving jack-ass either. I shrugged, taking my backpack and beginning that slow, lonely walk home...

He zoomed up beside me, smirk stretching across his face.

"Dude, get your sorry ass up here."

"Do you just like to torture people?" I asked, trying to hide my excitement as I swung my leg over and sat behind him.

"I didn't think you'd actually believe me." he replied.

He reved the engine again, more for dramatic effect than because he actually had to, and we sped off. With the wind in my hair, it was pretty hard to look straight on so, I turned my head right. We were passing City Hall again, where the protestors had woken up to rant and rave.

"END IT NOW! END IT NOW!"

"They're probably going to get the squads out here sooner or later. Sick the dogs on 'em." Madara said.

I looked at them all, feeling a sense of longing.

"You sound so optimistic." I said sarcastically.

"But it's true." He replied, moving on past the stop light. "It's the way the world has to be, we're going to have a war on everything before we figure out how to deal with it."

I turned my head back forward to hear him better.

"A war on drugs, race, religion, terrorism... Everything." He said, then he shrugged. "That's just how humans are. We're all selfish and brutish people, so we destroy things we don't understand."

"Thomas Hobbes, right?" I asked him.

I could feel him tense slightly with my chest pressing up against his back. I leaned around to see that he looked surprised. Perhaps he didn't think I even knew that name. It wouldn't be a bad assumption... I was probably a needle in a haystack. He nodded slowly.

"...Right." He responded.

"Well, then that means I'm your God-given rival." I proclaimed, smirking. "You can call me John Locke."

We both laughed. The kind of joke only philosophy nerds would understand. And then it hit me. Somehow, in this fucked up, crazy world, I found someone...that thinks similar to the way I do... And it only took fifteen years of my life to do it.

After I told him where my house was and he pulled up in front of it, he nodded at me.

"Catch you on the rebound, Hashirama."

I gave him the "hang-loose" sign.

"Backatcha!"

Madara Uchiha

Kill The Evil

After fourth period, I would've been a free man if it wasn't for that asshole teacher giving me detention. The guys surrounded me while I headed to my locker.

"Dude, that was so rad!" Kagami said.

"Totally gnarly." Hiruzen agreed. "I was wondering how you were going to get yourself in detention. That was really surprising."

Little do they know, I wasn't even planning on going out that way. I was going to do something simple. Like wait until the class was silent and point out his Hitler-stache, or answer a question stupid. Honestly, I was going to answer the question I raised my hand for stupid but then... At the last moment, I remembered that brown haired kid sitting there. And I remembered I'd be dragging him into detention with me... So, I chickened at the last moment.

"It was especially startling for your standards." Danzo added.

But then when he started talking about how communism was evil, I could almost see everyone around me nodding along with him. Soaking in that ridiculous ideology. I was...talking before I even thought about it. Even though I knew better than anyone else it wouldn't solve anything... And it didn't. He didn't listen to me at all. I was going to get much worse than detention if that same brown haired kid didn't speak up and throw himself back into the situation I was trying to save him from. And with an excuse as stupid as 'we planned to impersonate commies' but strangely, with the way his personality is, it was hard for anyone to question it. And these guys didn't question it because they knew I was dared by Danzo to get myself in detention on the first day anyway. Somehow, everything worked out in my favor.

"But I guess you won that bet, then" Danzo informed me, like I didn't already know. "Whatever."

I tossed my notebooks into my locker and nodded without looking at him.

"Dude, we're still on for four thirty, right?"

I slammed my locker door and leaned up against it.

"Detention. Remember?"

They all looked at me like I was speaking another language.

"Aren't you going to shine it off?" Danzo asked.

Kagami nodded.

"Yeah, cuzzo." He agreed. "I don't even know why we're not on the bus right now."

I grabbed Kagami's curly black hair and shook his head.

"Don't use your brain much, do you?" I asked him.

He grinned, moving his head away from mine.

Kagami Uchiha... If I wasn't his cousin, he'd probably blow me off for touching his hair. He was so obsessed about it looking perfect.

"That other kid is in there with me and if I don't show, he'll probably snitch." I clarified.

That's a bold faced lie. I wouldn't give a damn if he told or not. The truth is...I have to figure out what that idiot kid was thinking when he decided to lie for me... What kind of person is he? Why did he even care?

"I'll catch you guys on the flip side." I said, pulling my backpack straps up.

Danzo gripped my shoulder firmly as we walked on.

"But you're still hitting up with us, right?" he asked.

Kagami looked in a window we were walking past and stopped to straighten his hair up. I stopped, too, shrugging his hand off me.

Danzo... This asshole always thinks he's calling the shots around here...

"Have I ever gone back on my word before?" I asked, looking him fully in the eyes.

Kagami and Hiruzen looked over, pretending to be only mildly interested.

"I'll shine it off and be there on time." I said, then I pointed at him. "You better be there..."

I looked at the other two.

"All of you."

I walked into the classroom then, suggesting to the kid sitting there that we blow it off but he was too trapped in his own mental bubble to even register my presence.

He's clearly an idiot... Dressing like that. What kind of kid wears board shorts on the first day of school?

And they weren't just any kind of shorts either, they were a bright-ass neon yellow with blue flowers littered all over them, looking like the most unprofessional things I'd ever set eyes on. His tube socks reached his knees with blue stripes at the tops. Along with that, he wore a pair of beat-up black and white Vans Era's and a sleeveless white shirt that said "Surf's Up" in blue capital letters on the back.

He was like a walking "Stop, turn around, and RUN the other direction" sign. But I wanted to do the opposite just to find out what the hell possessed him to make up that lie in class. And when I figured it out, it interested me even more.

What kind of normal tenth grader can refer to Hobbes and Locke off the top of his head?

I pulled the motorcycle into my driveway and in through the garage which was purposely held open for me. Izuna stood there, giving me a look.

"You're lucky I had the garage open, what if Tsubasa found out and creamed you?"

I rolled my eyes as I rolled up next to him.

"He'd call before coming home, Izu." I said, cutting the engine. "Who the hell would pick him up from the airport?"

"Not if he wanted to surprise us. You know he loves surprises."

Yeah, yeah, I know... He's the sappy kind of square who really would pop up randomly with flowers for Mom and teddy bears for us or some shit and make me embarrassed to call him my eighteen year old older brother.

"Oh and before I forget, Little League Tryouts are tonight." Izuna informed me. "Are you gonna come watch me?"

I couldn't help but smile.

"Duh." I replied, punching his shoulder playfully. "That's what big brother's do."

He smiled in return.

"Anyway, you better stop or one day you're gonna get caught riding without a permit and then you'll go straight to jail." He said, grabbing his skateboard before he ran out of the garage.

"Stop trippin', Izuna."

"Straight to jail!" he reiterated as he dropped his skateboard on the driveway and swung out into the street.

And that's what happens when you let your eleven year old baby brother in on shit...

I only hung out at home for a quick second, long enough to pour the notebooks and paper out of my backpack and onto my bed and grab a black wool hat. I walked out of my bedroom and hopped down the stairs when a voice spoke up.

"Izu, is that you?"

I didn't respond, at that moment, noticing one of my Nikes were untied.

"...Madara?"

I still said nothing, bending down to tie my shoe.

"I know it's you, Madara."

I finished tying my shoe and grabbed the front door knob.

"You're going to ignore your own goddamn mother!?" she exclaimed.

"What the hell do you want, Mom?" I yelled, finally turning to look into the living room where the voice was coming from.

I could see the back of the couch and her arm lying over the side of it. All that time, she didn't even waste the energy to get up, let alone look at my face, and she was mad at me for ignoring her?!

She's such a friggin' waste of space...

"...Could'ja get me a pack of cigs and a bottle of whiskey on your way home?" she asked.

Point validated.

"I'm surprised you didn't ask Izuna to go do it for you." I muttered. "Isn't it about time to ruin him with your shitty parenting?"

"Madara, please. I don't have time for your goddamn church sermons today. Are you gonna do it or not? I have such a fuckin' head ache..."

Maybe if you didn't spend your entire day drinking and smoking, your body would actually resemble something humanoid.

I slammed the door behind me and didn't say anything.

It's better to leave ungrateful people in suspense... Maybe if I never come back, she'll learn a thing or two.

As I ran around back to grab my bike, I recalled earlier when that brown haired kid assumed that either my Mom was a head or I was a jerk.

The funny thing is he was pretty real on both of those guesses...

It only took me about ten minutes to ride to where I was supposed to meet up with the guys and, as usual, I was still earlier than them. Our hangout spot was just an old wooden shack house we'd built in the back woods. It was pretty small but so were we. I sat down on one of the rickety barstools and threw my feet up on the only table that could fit inside of it, an end table with a cracked leg, when the guys came along.

"You must've blown the board shorts kid off pretty fast to be here already." Danzo observed.

"I didn't blow him off, I dropped him off at home." I corrected him.

Danzo raised his eyebrows.

"Why? He's a goon anyway, isn't he?"

Kagami grinned.

"I think he's awesome." He said. "That move you guys pulled in class together was off the charts!"

Danzo leaned up against the wall.

"Speaking of that, I just started to think of it... How could you guys have planned that if you just met him today?" he asked me.

Friggin' Danzo... Always has to fuck up someone's vibe...

"Who said I just met him today?" I asked.

Hiruzen nodded.

"Yeah, actually, I think I've seen him around before, too." He said, backing me up.

Danzo leaned forward.

"So, you're sharing our business with him now?" he asked.

"No." I said, standing up. "I asked him for help with a prank and he went with it. What's your damage?"

"Just making sure you weren't outing us."

"I say what's outing and what's not." I told him. "You wanna fight about it?"

He stared at me and said nothing.

Thought so...

I got up and lifted the floorboards where our gear was. One by one, I handed each of them their weapon, we all had identical .45 Magnum handguns.

Pretty light and also very easy to conceal. Perfect for fourteen year old kids.

Kagami laughed.

"You got so stunned just now, Danzo." He said as he took his gun.

"Shut up..." Danzo muttered.

"So, what's today's plan?"

"The rich neighborhoods." I replied, cocking my gun. "On the news last night, I saw a report about this idiot in a bright orange sweater running around breaking into cars."

"Stellar." Kagami said, wiping down his barrel. "And you think he's going to hit again?"

"Psychos always have a routine." I told them. "Wearing an orange sweater and striking only rich neighborhoods are two..."

"And only breaking in on pay day is the third." Danzo interjected, as he pointed his gun at me, being careful not to have his finger on the trigger.

I stared at the gun in my face until he lowered it.

Show-off...

"Anyway, it sounds like he's a commie, doing something like that." Danzo said. "This will be my pleasure."

"Put your safety on." I said to them and then I picked my backpack up and tossed it to Hiruzen. "You're carrying the bag today. Let's go."

"For sure, Daddy-O." Kagami joked.

Hiruzen put his arms through the straps and we all pulled our black skully's over our faces as we walked through the darkening forest.

-A FEW HOURS LATER-

Danzo leaned up over the hood of a light blue 1959 Volkswagen Beetle we were all hiding behind and nudged me with his boot.

"It's been thirty minutes, Madara. Are you sure you didn't mess up?" he asked.

"Didn't I say psychos have patterns? I monitored this bastard well. He'll be here."

Not only does he strike only on payday but for some strange reason, it looks like he only hits odd numbered houses.

"My legs are getting numb." Kagami complained for the fifth time in the last thirty minutes.

He was new at vandalism. Only just starting up. But with the four break-ins he's done, using simple mathematics and a convergence of variables, I predict he should be at house 1345.

That was the house we were standing right across the street from.

Danzo suddenly scoffed, pulling his face mask off.

"I knew I should've picked the next target, counting on you is just-"

I grabbed the collar of his flannel brown shirt, slamming him back into the car.

"You want to keep talking, big shot?" I asked him. "I can give you some shit to talk about!"

He stared at the fist I had position right over his face and shut up again.

"Hey, guys." Hiruzen spoke up.

We both looked over.

"Someone's coming."

We hurriedly got into position, leaning up against the car again. I grabbed the binoculars from Kagami and looked through them. A person wearing a pair of dark blue bellbottoms and an over-sized day-glo orange sweater neared the house.

"Description fits. You're a friggin' genius, Madara." Kagami cheered, clapping me on the back.

Danzo rolled his eyes.

Can't say anything now, can ya' asshole?

"Check out the size of that crowbar." Kagami said as the person pulled the metallic thing out and looked around suspiciously before shoving it under the window.

"Alright, like we planned." I said. "Hiruzen, you're carrying the bag so you stay back and get the evidence. Kagami, you and I will-"

"We came up with a better plan." Danzo interjected.

But I continued talking over him, it was less because I wanted to be rude and more because I was just that appalled that someone had the gall to interrupt me.

Danzo slammed his hand down on the car.

"Hey! I said we came up with a better plan! Pay attention!"

There's nothing that pisses me off more than someone telling me to pay attention...

But I held my tongue because he said "we" and I didn't want to be a tyrant.

"He's just a burglar. We don't need the regular blackmail, scare off routine." He told me.

I rolled my eyes.

Blackmail is one of the best ways to get someone to do what you want... Who the hell does this guy think he's teaching?

"Instead, all three of us run out there and corner him so he can't run, tell him to get on his hands and knees and then hold him until the cops come."

"Cops?" I asked.

"One of us should go to a nearby house and get someone to call them now." He ordered.

I looked at Kagami and Hiruzen.

"This is what you all came up with when I'm absent for one second?"

"No, this is what we came up with when you were absent for three hours." Kagami corrected.

I couldn't even roll my eyes. It was my fault for asking him a serious question. I turned to just Hiruzen.

"It takes a lot of the pressure off of us." Hiruzen said, shrugging slowly. "I mean, this way, the authority can actually handle-"

"Authority?!" I exclaimed at them. "The same 'authority' that has your parents locked up, Danzo's father dead and Kagami's sisters on a 'wanted' list."

"Close your damn mouth, Madara! You don't know shit about my father!" He yelled at me.

We all knew shit about his father. A cop who was killed in the line of duty because he relied on his comrades to back him up and they faked out.

"I do know that when you started this you said it was because you didn't trust them. If anyone needs to 'pay attention' it's you." I retorted.

"Hey, in my sisters' defense, they were messed up anyway." Kagami said. "I mean, no one told them get strung out on dope and get caught!"

"We're doing it my way." I said, pressing back up against the car. "Now shut up and come on."

"Your way is just you trying to win all the glory and be the hero!" Danzo said to me, fingers curling. "When I started this, I said I wanted to change the shitty justice system, not destroy it. All you're doing is trying to erase the cops and put yourself in like a freaking superhero or something. You're not God!"

"You think I'm trying to be a hero! You freaking hypocrite. Who's trying to run out there like a fake-cop shouting 'put your hands up'?! Do you want to die?"

Everyone was silent. I sighed.

"Who's with me?" I asked.

Kagami punched my shoulder to Danzo's complete dismay.

"He's my cousin, man." Kagami justified.

Hiruzen bent his head.

"Well, I do think calling the police could be a bit safer for us and take some of the pressure off but Madara's way, just handling it all ourselves, seems to have worked so far." He said, then he nodded at me.

Hiruzen was always one for avoiding too much pressure or responsibility. That didn't mean he was a wuss. He was one of the bravest guys I knew, that was why he was in the group. But he didn't do well with confrontation at all.

Interestingly enough, Danzo does better in high intensity situations than both of them.

"I'll show you right now that it's a better plan!" Danzo insisted, getting to his feet. "There's four of us and one of him! And on top of that, all he has is a stupid crowbar!"

Before any of us could say anything, he was already winding around the car and discretely trying to hurry across the street.

Serves him right if that idiot runs over there and gets bashed in the side of the head.

But I ran after him, still unsure about whether or not I'd actually be okay with him getting the shit beat out of him on my watch. Kagami and I ran over to where Danzo posted up behind another car just as he jumped up, rolled over the hood of it like he was in a 1950s detective flick and ran up the line.

"Put your hands up!" Danzo shouted.

The person froze. Hiruzen, who was right on our heels, had the camera out of his bag and snapped the picture right on time.

"Got the evidence!" he declared.

"You're going to fuckin' jail, now get on your knees!" Danzo shouted, thrusting the gun at him. "Go on, do it now!"

The person moved, seemingly like they were about to get on their hands and knees and then, suddenly, flung the crowbar out at him. He wasn't far enough away to have enough time to duck and so instead, he did something I didn't even know he could do...

A gunshot rang out just at the same time as the crowbar hit Danzo's hands and threw his balance off. A bullet shot right past the masked person with the orange sweater on and burst through the window next to them. Orange Sweater, with a terribly late reaction time, dove into the flowerbed.

"Ahh!" Danzo shouted. "My wrist!"

Orange Sweater jumped up then, getting out of the flowers and sprinting across the driveway, Danzo pointed and shot the gun again.

"What the hell are you doing!?" I exclaimed. "Stop fucking shooting at him!"

But he missed anyway and the guy slipped and busted his ass on the concrete of the driveway, trying unsuccessfully to get his bearings, and dipped out, sprinting out into the street.

It was just then that, with the second bullet Danzo shot hitting another window of the house, that an alarm went off inside. It was a loud, screeching sound I'd never heard before.

"What the hell is that?!" Kagami shouted.

"It's a burglar alarm! Like the ones at stores!" Hiruzen told us.

Shit! I thought my family was the only one paranoid enough to invest in something like that...

"Let's book! Come on, grab the crowbar, too!"

Not only were we looking incredibly guilty, all four of us were armed, though not as heavily as Danzo and his stupid ass...

We blew out of there as fast as we could, jumping at everything that sounded only slightly like a police siren or a fire truck. Under brown, wooden fences, over narrow creaks, around shoddy corners and through shitty alleyways. It wasn't until we jumped the train tracks and ran out into a Kroger Grocery parking lot that, leaning against someone's tan Audi, we stopped to catch our breath.

"That was a close one, man... I bet the cops are swarming all over that place." Kagami said.

"We should've left the crowbar, though. That way they might've been able to catch him with fingerprints. Right, Madara?" Hiruzen wanted to know.

But I wasn't listening. I shoved into Danzo, pinning him up against the car.

"What's your deal, dude?" he asked.

"Who the heck told you to put ammo in that gun!?" I shouted at him.

"Get off me!" he shouted, pushing me back. "What's the point of carrying something around if you aren't going to use it?!"

He spat on the black parking lot asphalt.

"I'm not going to just preach justice and not enforce it. Unlike people like you..."

I grabbed both his shoulders and shoved him back.

"I should bust your stupid head open on the concrete right now, you friggin' idiot! What if you accidently shot one of us with that gun, huh?! Didn't think of that did you, wise guy?"

"Stop pushing up on me, man! You're not my FUCKING MOTHER!"

Even with a sprained wrist he was angry enough to shove me back. And that angered me.

This guys's such a friggin' extremist. He hates so much, he can't even see when he's going over the top...

I shoved him, punching him in the face which he responded to by grabbing my neck.

"Hey, guys! Stop it!" Kagami said, squeezing himself in between us.

"If it wasn't for Hiruzen vouching for you, I'd never have let your dumb ass join." I muttered.

"Hey!" Kagami said, looking at me. "Just veg out, okay? Come on, guys..."

I sighed.

"Whatever..."

I crossed my arms, walking away from them as Danzo muttered under his breath.

"He thinks he's such hot shit..." he muttered.

"You shouldn't have put bullets in that gun, Danzo. When we started this we said-" Hiruzen began.

"I know what we said, Hiru." Danzo said to him. "But how do you expect people to listen to you with no fire power, huh?!"

They were silent.

"This isn't any Martin Luther King bullshit. We're not doing any freaking sit-ins and marches... This is real life."

Yeah, real life where you get your wrist snapped for being a trigger happy jerk-off...

I continued walking, not called back into a conscious frame of mind until I heard unnatural sounds coming from the bed of a truck.

"W-Wait, I just..."

"Come on, baby... Let's just try to have a good time alright?"

It could've been the sneering tone. The excitedly drunk laughter. Or the panicked female voice.

This doesn't sound too good...

I glanced over at the guys, just by a stroke of luck, Hiruzen was looking over at me, somewhat longingly, probably upset or something that I'd stormed off. I was still too pissed at Danzo to want him even five feet away from me, so I put my finger to my lips and motioned to him quietly. He gave me a questioning look and quickened his pace, jogging over to me.

"What are you-"

"Shhh!" I said, clamping my hand down over his mouth.

I ducked, hoping the person hadn't heard him.

"No, Billy, no... I don't want-" the feminine voice whimpered.

"Listen up, alright?" I said to Hiruzen. "We might've lost the day-glo asshole, but we can still do this one. You're gonna cover me."

He pulled my hand down from his mouth.

"Shouldn't we tell-"

"No." I stated.

"Billy, stop it! I'm serious."

"Just relax, honey... It's cool..."

I froze momentarily. We were standing at the front end of the truck. Through the windshield, I could see a bulky figure, bearing down on a more petite one. But we were in plain sight. If he so much as glanced up, it would be too late. I glanced behind us where, a little ways across the parking lot, Kagami sat with Danzo using some gauze from the bag to wrap up his wrist. I lowered my voice.

"We can handle this ourselves. I mean, we've gotten far enough to be able to hack a common criminal."

He looked over the front of the truck and nodded slightly, seeming to agree.

"What's the plan, then?" He asked.

"You got your gun?"

He nodded.

"Give it to me." I said.

He pulled it out of his belt and handed it to me without question. He grabbed the Polaroid camera, which was hanging around his neck, and pulled it up. I grabbed his hand.

"No, you keep the camera." I told him.

"Billy, please... Please..."

"You're going to go around the left side and snap a picture first off. Alright? That's the very first thing you're going to do. I'm going around right with the gun, okay?"

"He'll jump on me, Madara." Hiruzen said. "I'm completely unarmed."

"I know what I'm talking about. Rapists are cowards, okay? Most of the time, they aren't even real criminals, haven't even done any real damage. Their only problem is they got dicks for brains."

Hiruzen laughed. I grabbed his skully, which he'd pulled back, and pulled it down over his face.

"Come on." I said, covering my own face.

"Alright. I trust you."

We moved out, slowly coming around the sides.

"I don't want to-"

"Look, bitch." He said, suddenly sounding harsh in tone instead of all the 'all loving' voice he had earlier. "I've been driving around paying for your shit all day, now you gotta give me something for all that work, huh? Now just lie here and shut the-"

I heard the picture snap, shutter clicking. He jumped up just like I expected him to, jeans falling down exposing his bare ass.

"What the fuck?! Damn pervert!" he shouted, startling Hiruzen who hopped off the side of the truck which he had climbed on to take a good picture.

I climbed on the other side, taking the split second I had that he was distracted to grab him, wrapping my arm around his neck and sticking my gun into his back.

"Say a word and I'll blow your fucking asshole out through your dick!" I snarled.

"S-shit..." he whispered.

Hiruzen got into the bed of the truck, offering the shaken girl his hand.

"Don't be scared." He whispered to her. "We're the good guys."

I jumped down off the back of the truck and with my arm still around his neck, he was forced down with me. He yelled arms flailing as I slammed him down into the concrete on his back and dropped my knee into his chest. I cocked the gun for extra effect and shoved it into his jaw.

"Get her out of here." I ordered.

"Signed, Sealed, Delivered." Hiruzen responded.

I heard two pairs of feet drop off the back of the truck and run off. I looked down at the piece of shit on the ground in front of me and felt nothing but contempt for him.

"Now listen up, dickhead." I began. "You're at the precipice of your entire life right now."

"P-Preci-what?!" He asked, trying to turn his head.

"Don't talk!" I shouted.

He stiffened, as I pushed the gun further.

"You can either die here, crying with your pants off like a friggin' toddler, or you change your life." I told him. "I'll pull the damn trigger right now if you don't do what I say."

He nodded slowly, cheek scratching against the tiny rocks and rubble.

"One word about us to anybody... And we'll make sure that picture is front page on tomorrow's newspaper. Got me?"

He nodded again.

"And secondly, put your cock back in your pants and stop trying to shove it down someone's throat...literally. If I catch you pullin' this shit off again, I'll friggin' castrate you."

I got to my feet, still pointing the gun at him.

"And don't underestimate me, punk. There are more of us. And we're everywhere."

He nodded a final time. I looked up, seeing that Hiruzen had gotten the girl back to the guys. He was motioning to me frantically, clearly, they were ready to book. I bent over him, quickly patting down the pockets of his bellbottom jeans until I came across what I was searching for...a wallet. I poured the contents out, emptying it until I came across his cash, hidden in a smaller compartment.

"Are you fuckin' robbing me?!"

I cocked my leg back planting a solid kick in his ribs. He choked, coughing saliva onto the ground. Then I raised my foot, stomping on his ass, the front of his body slammed into the concrete hard and he winced and cried out, probably hitting his balls pretty hard.

"Shut your damn mouth." I spat. "This is a public service. Next time, remember rape isn't cheap."

"You're a fucking crook!" he accused, tearfully.

"Count to 500. Slowly." I told him. "And don't you dare move until you're done."

He began counting slowly, whispering it to himself. I dropped his wallet on his head, rolling my eyes.

"Forty bucks is all you have? Cheap piece of crap..." I muttered.

I turned then, darting for the guys who were already looking like runners, waiting for a baton. It didn't take me long to get over to them and then we were all sprinting, making a beeline for the main road, then crossing it and safely getting to brightly lit shopping mall that was still open.

"Pay phones are over there, Miss." Hiruzen said. "Call someone you trust to come pick you up."

She nodded hard, blonde hair whipping around her face, and wiped her eyes tearfully. I took a ten dollar bill out of my pocket and handed it to her.

"Or call a cab." I said. "Whichever will get you out of here as quick as possible, he could follow you here."

I motioned to the guys and we turned around, getting ready to leave but she grabbed my arm.

"Who are you guys?" she asked us, crossing her arms over her tie-dyed shirt.

I pulled my arm away from her. We all paused, slowly, one by one, turning to look at her with our faces covered by our black masks. It was silent for a long beat.

"No one." I finally told her. "Just...regular guys whose mission it is to kill the evil."

"Kill the evil?" she repeated. "Is...something like that even possible?"

I snapped my fingers, giving them the signal to head out and we didn't respond to her.

I don't know if it's possible or not... But I don't care. I'll do whatever it takes... Whatever...

"You really are good at understanding criminals, Madara." Hiruzen said as we ran. "You planned that out to the nine."

"Planned what out?" Kagami asked. "What happened?"

"It was spontaneous. Some guy just decided to take advantage of that girl while I was close by."

"A random one? Psychedelic! It's been a long time since we've hit one like that!"

"Did you get any cash for it?" Danzo asked.

"Yeah." I pulled another ten out of my pocket and handed it to Hiruzen. "But none for your dumbass. Next time, you'll think before you pull a loaded gun out on someone."

I could see him glaring at me out of the corner of my eye but he said nothing. It wasn't long until we were back in our part of town, walking past some of the last few stores and shops before it would just be suburbia land from there on out. It was there, as Hiruzen pulled a cig out of his pocket and lit it, that I remembered.

"Shit." I said. "I got something to do."

They all raised their eyebrows at me.

"I'll catch you guys on the rebound."

They all stared as I turned, jogging at a westward angle down the street until I could get to the Tobacco and Alcohol store.

Crap... I normally don't like messing with places close to where I live but I'm already late. At this rate, I'll miss Izuna's baseball thing...

I pushed the doors open, irritated to see that there were already two people inside. I lurked around, looking at bottles of cheap, bottom-shelf liquor and wine to pass time until it was empty except for me. I chose that moment to pick up a bottle of Jack Daniels and take it to the cashier.

"This please. And whatever's your cheapest cigs off the back." I said pointing.

I still had the mask over my face which was suspicious but I had the money in my hand and I tried to sound as polite as I could, hoping he would over look it.

"...Yeah, right, kid." He said, only looking over his newspaper momentarily. "What are ya' twelve years old? Getcher ass outta here before I call your Mom."

Too bad my Mother was the one who sent me here.

I sighed, letting go of the bottle and slowly lowering my hand to my pants.

Now shit has to get real.

I pulled the gun, which I still had on me, out of the back of my pants and pointed it at him.

"Motherfucker, please. If you value your piece of shit life, I suggest you get your lazy ass up, give me the goddamn cigarettes and close that fucking hole in your face."

He was so startled, he almost fell out of his chair. He backed up, hitting the glass behind him, which held all of the cigarettes out of customer's reach, and with shaking hands, slid the glass door open and gave me the cigarettes.

"H-Here man, just don't shoot. Please... I... I have a son."

"Cram the sob story." I muttered, picking up the cigarette carton.

This'll do.

I slammed the money for it down on the counter.

"Next time when someone offers to pay for shit, close your damn mouth." I said before I walked toward the double doors and pushed them open. "And by the way, I'm almost sixteen, asshole."

I'm just short.

"B-But...uh...kid? I-I mean, sir? Your...change." he stammered.

"Keep it." I said before walking out.

Glancing at the reflection on the car in the lot in front of me, I could see his facial expression. Surprised, slightly frightened, but there was something behind that... And it was respect.

A kind criminal. People don't call the police on law abiding law breakers, they respect them.

And I was right. If I showed even the slightest bit of courtesy to someone, even after I beat them senseless, they would admire me. It was a strange thing about humans. An appreciation of deviancy humans had that made them appreciate the abnormal things in life...like an armed liquor store robber paying for the stuff and telling you to keep the change. Still, I couldn't help but feel a sense of uneasiness whenever I recalled the things that Hiruzen and Kagami always said to me.

"How are you so good at understanding criminals?"

And

"Are you like a genius or something?"

I'm so good at understanding how they think... Because I'm one of them.

I pushed the door to my house open, feeling slightly elevated when I didn't hear Izuna's light hearted voice around. I walked into the living room.

"Didja get my shit?"

Ungrateful bitch.

I dropped the bag on her and she immediately sat up, pulling everything out.

"Oh, thank god for you, Madara. Best son ever, honestly..." then she froze. "Where the fuck are my cigs?"

I still had them in my pocket.

"Did you think this was all free?" I asked.

I pulled a cigarette out of the carton and picked her lighter up off the table.

"Wait your turn." I said, lighting the cig and then tossing the rest of them at her.

"Don't start that shit..." She warned me. "It'll kill you."

"Oh look, the one Motherly comment you give per year. It must be my friggin' birthday." I replied, blowing the smoke out in her general direction. "Can it, Mom. If you're still alive, I'm not worried."

"I can't believe I gave birth to such a smartass, piece of shit..." she groaned, tilting her head to receive the liquor.

"If there's anything you should be incredulous about, it's your alcohol consumption. You're gonna blow a damn liver."

"Incredulous? Even motherfucking university professors don't know what the fuck that means, Madara. Goddamn it! Why don't you go work for fucking NASA, or something, 'stead of preaching to me?!"

"For the last time, Mother, NASA does not stand for Narcotic Security Agency!" I shouted at her. "You're such a friggin' idiot!"

"Whatever..." she muttered.

"Mom? Madara?" a voice called.

"Shit." I muttered, taking a last puff and putting my cigarette out on the liquor bag. "Put that out, Izuna's coming in."

"I. Don't. Care." She said, taking extra measure to blow smoke out at me between every word.

"Hey, I was looking everywhere for you!" he said, grinning at me. "I thought you said you'd be ready to-"

Then he froze, eyes zeroing in on me. I glanced down, wanting to slap myself in the face for not realizing it before. The gun...I still had it on me.

Of course my own damn Mother wouldn't notice I walked in with a gun in my belt... She probably isn't even surprised... Our relationship is usually on a don't ask don't tell basis anyway.

"I was hunting with the guys." I lied.

He looked for a moment longer and then nodded, choosing to believe my lie, but I knew underneath it, he still suspected a lot.

"Are you still going to come?"

"PLEASE, go!" My mother exclaimed.

I gave her a look and decided just to mess with her momentarily like I wasn't going.

"I have homework to do." I told him with a straight face. "And so do you."

Izuna gave me that 'no fair' look.

"Aw, come on, Madara, we can do it when we get back, please?! I promise!"

I sighed, pretending to break.

"Fine." I told him. "But you better do it."

"Groovy!" he said, nodding hard and following me to the front door.

Even though I tried to be an admirable big brother, one that he'd like to look up to. I was actually pretty terrible at it. He knew much more about me than I wanted him to and he often tried his best to fall into the same stupid mistakes I did.

"Oh and before I forget, here." I said, pulling the last of the money, a twenty dollar bill, out of my pocket and putting it in his hand.

His eyebrows jumped up into his hair.

"Where did you get this from!?"

"Shhh!" I put my finger to my lips and looking to see if our Mother had heard.

If she knows either of us have this kind of cash, she'll definitely steal it for her stupid booze.

"You said you didn't have money for lunch yesterday, right?" I asked.

"Yeah, but this is way more than I need for that!"

"Well, then save it for the rest of the school year." I said, then I shrugged offhandedly. "You can't listen in class if you're hungry all day."

He grinned, slipping the money into his low top baby blue converse sneakers.

"You're the best, Madara." He said.

But it was moments like that that made me feel like I did as I much as I possibly could for him.

I smirked at him, throwing my arm around his shoulders as we walked down the driveway.

"Come on, let's blow this taco stand."

Author's Note: If you like the way this story is going and you want more, please leave a review for me! No review? I'll just assume no one's interested. But I really hope at least one person is interested. Hahaha.

Up Next: Hashirama and Madara meet AGAIN and get feisty political! Also, Hashirama starts to have certain 'feelings' while Madara has a really 'weird' dream. Is his dream a blessing...or a curse?