Every monday morning with homemade rosaries clutched in their fists the students of Blessed Family would stand in a silent line remembering their sins. Simple oak pews cascaded in rows just to left, contouring to give each seat the best possible view of the alter. One by one the children would disappear behind a shiny, lament door with no window only to reappear moments later looking satisfied, if not relieved. So was the ritual of confession for most, but not all. For some the confessional was a place far too coveted to ever be just service.
These three students were hard to distinguish from the others, blending in with the other uniformed kids. One of them was currently at the head of the line, bouncing on the balls of his feet; left, right, left, right. The beads softly clicking together in his anxiousness. The navy blue trouser and vest were in sharp contrast of his blond hair, cut short but kept wild. His white shirt was wrinkled and browning at the cuffs matching his dirty sneakers. The fidgeting stopped as soon as his peer exited from the room.
Naruto opened the entrance to the confessional fluidly, allowing it to swing shut as entered the space. The four walls were a drab white and the only furnishings in the small room were a single chair facing a brown cross hung just below the ceiling line. Just to the right of the crucifix was a rout-iron grate windowing into a room adjacent to this one. Plopping down unceremoniously into the chair he wrapped his black rosary beads around his left hand, crossing himself with the right. "In the name of the Father, the Sun and the Holy Spirit. Amen," the words were mumbled out of habit if nothing else. Focusing his eyes in the dimly lit room he continued subconsciously, "Forgive me Father for I have sinned."
"When was your last confession child?" The voice drifted from behind the grate, gravely and worn in the way all old voices are. It belong to Father Sarutobi, a beloved priest at Blessed Family Church. He had been with the church as long as Naruto could remember, and as long as Naruto could remember the priest had always been very kind to him.
That was something he didn't recieve much from the other members of the chapter, kindness. 'Love thy neighbor...' didn't he live just a few blocks from the parish? Mind boggling as far as Naruto was concerned. "My last confession was one week ago."
In the other room there was a quiet sigh, the kind that slips out, out of reflex. father Sarutobi took a deep breath, "Please state your sins before the lord," confessions with Naruto always tended to be an ordeal. He always seemed to find trouble at school, with his peers, teachers, priests, everyone. He was fifteen, roudy and was raised not ever knowing his mother or father, but that wasn't wait concerned Sarutobi. No what concerned him was everyone would find trouble with Naruto wether it existed or not.
Naruto was well aware of this fact. "Technically I'm golden on numero uno, so you can check that one off. Uh, during art with Ms. Kurenai I drew a picture of god and Jesus with sunglasses meeting with the Fonz next to this really sweet red cadillac, you should have seen the chrome I drew on that thing, they were all going "Aaaay!". Pretty sure thats blashypmes," on his right hand he was counting the commandments as he confessed, "I stubbed my toe twice and I used the lords name in vain on both occasions and as well as when I dropped the host during last communion."
Sarutobi mentally groaned. Yes, he remember that sudden hushed silence after the incident last Sunday. In the other room Naruto had ticked off four and five silently, his rosary falling forgotten onto his lap has he help up one finger with his left hand.
"You remember that day last week when it was, like, freakishly sunny? Well I was shooting cans in the street with a BB-gun and...there was a squirrel hidden in one," he whispered the last part, turning his head to the grate so that Father could hear it,"it died."
"This wasn't on purpose was-"
If teen outrage had a face its home would be on Mr. Uzumaki. "OF COURSE NOT! Geez why would I want to kill a god damn squirrel?...shit. I confess breaking the third again," he righted himself in the chair so he was once more facing the cross, glaring at its polished surface, "Now if you would be so kind as to not interrupt me again, I'd like to continue."
The statement was met with silence so Naruto took this as an okay, "So anyways, I'm still masturbating, I mean really it's a bit unrealistic that I'm not suppose to, you know Father? Yeah you know, you're a perverted old man...Who do priests confess to anyways? Do they just get to talk to a mirror through a cheese grater? Or is there, like, a network of priests confessing to priests?"
"Naruto..."
The warning tone underlining his name helped him break out of his tangent, "I cheated on my arithmetic test, but to my defense I copied off of Kiba so it probably did more harm than good. I should get a reduced penance for that one." Keeping his fingers at eight Naruto gave a reflective chuckle, "I hustled Sasuke into a bet I knew I'd win and he ended up sucker punching me. Naturally I had to defend myself, but Mr. Mizuki broke us up before I could land a decent hit." Pausing shortly, Naruto gave a swift nod as if coming to a decision. "I don't believe I have lied, but that maybe a lie itself so I confess to that just in case."
Which left Naruto with all ten fingers up. "I'm still jealous. I'm jealous of the little kids who walk down the street with their parents, I'm jealous of the high marks Sasuke gets in class. No that isn't right...I'm jealous of how people see Sasuke," both rooms feel into an uneasy silence. The two of them thinking about what was just said, but neither surprised.
"Is there anything else you'd like to confess?"
"I think I'm an agnostic democrat," the laugh behind the grate matched the one in the white room. A warmness spread throughout the small area, making the lights seem just a bit brighter.
Folding his hands in a defeated manor Sarutobi realized this session with Naruto was near its end. "For penance apologize to Sasuke and Kiba as well as two rosary prayers. God the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his Son, has reconciled the world to Himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins; through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."
"Give thanks to the Lord for he is good."
"For his mercy endures for ever."
