Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, nor do I make any money with this.
Summary: A child alone, not guilty for the sins his parents made, is there to pay the consequences, no one asked him whether he wants to be like that, he just is.
Warning: HIV positive child
AN: Written for December 1st.
The sun was shining above the small orphanage. A nice garden, with many trees, and a lot of colourful flowers was surrounding it. The air was fresh, and the light breeze carried the scent of flowers. It was a clear indication the spring had come.
The old fence was around playing children. Their laugh and cries of happiness filled the morning silence. Some were playing tag, while the others played in the sandbox, building a sandcastle. Only one child was alone.
He was sitting on a swing, his feet were nervously kicking the air, and he tried to look unaffected by his loneliness. He had unruly blonde hair, and amazingly blue eyes. His clothes were dirty because nobody remembered to give him new clean ones. He was too small to care, and too worried that if he said something, they might throw him out, and leave him alone, on the streets, like his parents did.
He sighed and scratched the back of his neck. He tried to smile, and look happy when he wasn't. His blonde eyebrows were set in a frown, and his pinkish lips were pouting. It made him look cute, although nobody noticed.
His attention was drawn to the car that just stopped in front of the orphanage. It was big black shiny limousine. The chauffeur got out and opened the door to the raven-haired man. He was tall, and looked so pale against his dark hair and dark suit.
Naruto saw the man was saying something to the chauffeur, but he was too far to hear what. The man then walked through the front door and entered the garden in which the children staid. He was greeted by the orphanage's director, an old woman with blonde hair tied in the two tails, falling on her chest. They talked for a bit and then they turned to Naruto's direction and Naruto's breath hitched when he realised they were talking about him.
What was going on?
Naruto felt a hand on his shoulder and he turned around to see one of the workers standing behind him. He was looking at him as they all did, as if he was dirty and nobody wanted him, like he was a menace that needed to be removed.
He heard him saying the director wanted to speak to him, and that he should hurry there if he wanted to eat lunch. Naruto quickly jumped off of the swing and hurried after the man, not caring that the other children glared at him for no reason.
They entered the orphanage and Naruto was hit with its specific scent. The scent of disinfected things, like hospitals. Naruto followed the man to the director's office. He entered the room and immediately noticed that the man from before was there, sitting in one of the chairs looking through some papers. He looked at the director and she motioned to his that he should take a sit.
Naruto hoped in the chair next to the raven. He tried not to look at him because he knew he wouldn't be able to control himself and he would be staring. He had heard what the other children were saying about those kind of people, the were rich and every time one of them came, one child got a new home. Naruto never envied those children because he knew he couldn't be loved even if he wanted to be.
Families weren't his thing. He tried to be happy without one.
He was also feeling a little excitement, even though he tried not to get his hopes up. This could all be some sick joke, and even if the man wanted him, he could still change his mind when he read his file. Nothing was certain. Therefore, in Naruto's opinion hope was stupid thing only stupid people had.
The man nodded his head and gave the papers to the man next to him.
"Mr Uchiha, I see you're happy with the files." The director said, smiling slightly.
"Yes." Mr Uchiha answered, his voice and face showed none of his emotions.
"I see. May I ask when do you plan to take him?" The director asked again, and Naruto couldn't help but to wonder about what they were talking about. Who was going to be taken, and to where?
"Hn. Immediately, if that's possible." Mr Uchiha said, and the director nodded her head again.
"I don't have all of his papers right here, I will acquire them later today. You can come and take him in the afternoon." The director said quickly. She was too happy for someone who was going to lose one of her children. It seemed as if she couldn't wait to dump that child to that man's care.
"Um..." Naruto raised his hand, he was scared because he knew what happened to the rude children who got involved into the grownups' conversation. Suddenly all eyes were set to his small form.
"Yes?" The director asked, raising her thick eyebrow.
"Why am I here?" Naruto asked, feeling very small and vulnerable.
"Ah, yes." The director said, folding her hands in front of her. "This good man, Mr Uchiha, wants to adopt you..." She continued in a murmur, "Although I don't know why..."
"I see." Naruto lowered his head, he found his hands on his knees very interesting all of a sudden.
"I want to take care of you Naruto." Mr Uchiha said, trying to make Naruto feel a little better since the kid looked as if he was going to cry any minute now.
"It's okay." Naruto said in a small voice. He didn't know what to feel, he was very happy, but at the same time very sad. He didn't know why, he was getting out of here. This time, he was one of those lucky children, and he felt no satisfaction. He felt as if he didn't deserve it. In his opinion there were many other children who wanted, no needed, a new home. He was happy here, because he had a roof above his head, and that was all he needed.
"Naruto, you can go now." The director said. "I need to discuss details with Mr Uchiha."
"Yes, director." Naruto answered and got of his chair. Suddenly, a new feeling entered him, it was anger. He was angry they could discuss his future like that. For the first time he felt uneasy. This was not some insignificant decision, it was his life they were talking about, and knowing the director she wouldn't do thorough background check of Mr Uchiha. She'd be happy to get rid of him. He furrowed his eyebrows and pouted his lips.
"Naruto!" The director hissed. "Don't embarrass me." She growled. Mr Uchiha raised his eyebrow but otherwise said nothing, although he saw everything.
"..." Naruto turned to leave, but before that he glared at the Mr Uchiha. The man just smirked at him. It annoyed Naruto, who was he to just smirk? "I don't like this..." Naruto said, "..at all."
"Hn." Mr Uchiha smirked and returned his attention to the director who was scowling at little blond's rude behaviour.
"I assure you... he will be punished for that before you take him home with you." She said, silently promising a painful experience to Naruto for being such an ill-mannered behaviour.
Naruto tensed when he heard that promise, he guessed he deserved that. If anything, they were taught never to be rude in front of their potential guardians. He disobeyed that rule, and now he was going to be punished. He just hoped it wouldn't be that painful.
Naruto walked through the door, and sighed. He looked at the man behind himself and quickly lowered his head again. Soon, he felt hot tears falling down his face, he was crying. It was from frustration, never because he was sad. He wasn't sad. He couldn't afford to be scared either. He had to be strong.
Mr Uchiha and the director watched the kid leave the room.
"I'm sorry you had to witness that." The director sighed and gave some other papers to Mr Uchiha. He took them and read the text silently.
"I just hope you don't really plan on hurting him before I take him away." Mr Uchiha said, not raising his head. He was speaking in a cold, emotionless voice that promised a much painful punishment if something happened to the boy. He may not know him well, after all he had just met him, but something drew him to the boy.
"N-no." The director stuttered. "Of course not... just empty threats..." She tried to smile and look relaxed, but inside she was very tense. That damned kid wouldn't be punished if that was what Mr Uchiha wanted. She growled low in her throat, but said nothing. She wouldn't stop the adoption process, she was lucky to get rid of that kid.
'Name: Uzumaki Naruto, DOB: October 10th, Father: Namikaze Minato, Mother: Uzumaki Kushina, Birthplace: Konoha Hospital. Other notes: HIV positive...' Mr Uchiha read the basic information about his adoptive son and continued to read social workers' observations. They said that Naruto was a great kid, little sloppy and rude sometimes, but a great kid nonetheless. He had suffered a great deal since his parents' death and he had refused to allow anyone to get near him. The other report stated that Uzumaki Naruto was a greedy brat who didn't know how to appreciate what was given to him. Mr Uchiha frowned at that. How could a professional person write something like that?
He continued reading the reports, while the director looked at him, hoping he'd see what kind of a child that blond was and decide against adopting him. He would only serve like a burden to someone like Mr Uchiha.
"Hn." Mr Uchiha returned the papers to the director and took out his phone. He dialled the number and waited until the person picked it up. "Kakashi, everything is in order. Send lawyers." He ended the call and looked at the director. "I hope you don't mind my lawyers come and check all the papers. I just want to be sure that when I adopt him no one would be able to take him away." Mr Uchiha spoke quickly, not waiting for the director's response.
"N-no." She shook her head. Something about the man scared her. He was too calm for her liking.
"Great." He smirked and leaned back into the chair.
XXX
Naruto was nervous. He was really nervous. It was noon already and he still hadn't received his punishment. He whimpered and hugged his teddy bear closer in his little arms. The toy was dirty and in the state of decomposition, but the boy refused to give it up.
He was crouching in the bottom of his closet and listening to any noises coming from the outside. There was none. He was safe for now. He sighed in relief.
Who was that man, Mr Uchiha? What did he want to do with him? The questions swirled in young Naruto's mind. Was this how all the other children felt like? Were they this... restless? Was this happiness?
The door to his room suddenly opened and Naruto's eyes widened. He saw two people in white clothes, they looked like doctors, but Naruto knew they weren't. They usually came to get him when he was a bad boy and needed punishment, what did he do now?
"Naruto!" A male voice roared, "Where are you?" The man asked, and Naruto could hear a woman saying something, it was too quiet for him to hear what exactly. "Come out now! Do you hear me?" His voice was scary and Naruto sure wasn't going out. He was better off in his closet.
"Naruto! Come here this instant!" The woman said and Naruto covered his ears with his hands. He also kept his eyes closed.
"No... no..." Naruto kept whispering in the dark, he was shaking his head slowly, refusing to open his eyes and obey.
"He's not here..." The man said, sounding frustrated.
"The brat's probably hiding somewhere." The woman added. "I don't know why would someone want to adopt him, he's such a..." She trailed off.
"Yeah I know..." The man said, and Naruto could picture him nodding his head. There was such venom in his voice, Naruto knew how much they hated him, it was so obvious. "We'll come back later, Mr Uchiha isn't coming back for another hours or so... we'll have time to get the brat ready and cleaned." The woman hummed in response and they left the room.
Naruto wasn't aware he was holding his breath until he inhaled again, lacking air in his lungs. It was so scary, he wanted to leave this place. Mr Uchiha was taking him away, everything was better than this.
XXX
An hour later, the two workers found Naruto asleep on his bed, and woke him up rather rudely. Naruto gasped when the blonde woman gripped his arm a little too harshly. She wasn't gentle when she stripped him of his clothes and pushed in a big tub full of cold water. She gave him soap and ordered him to clean himself.
Naruto was washing himself quickly, because for one thing he was cold, and the other, the sooner he finished the sooner he'd get out of here. He was shivering and his teeth were chattering.
"Hurry up kid." The woman said to him coldly and placed one hand on her hip, and with the other she held the towel for Naruto to use after he was done.
"Y-yes ma'am." Naruto stuttered, and took the towel. Wrapping it tightly around his slim body, he stepped out of the tub, and shook the water from his hair.
"Watch it!" The lady exclaimed when some of the little water drops landed on her skirt.
"Sorry..." Naruto apologised and rubbed his hands over his shoulders to keep himself warm.
"Aye..." She just shook his head disapprovingly and turned around to pick up some clothes. "Here, wear this." She gave them Naruto and left him alone to dress up.
XXX
Mr Uchiha was sitting in Tsunade's office, on one of the chairs in front of her desk, drinking herbal tea. He had his legs crossed. He looked smart.
When Naruto was dressed he was taken to Tsunade's office, again. That was second time that day. It worried him a lot why he was under the spot light. They never bothered cleaning him before, they never bothered giving him clean clothes, which he wore at the moment, and by the way, they smelled real nicely, Naruto mused.
"Naruto." Tsunade got up from her chair when Naruto entered her office with two other people. They left immediately as the director made the motion with her hand that clearly said they were not needed anymore. "Come, sit."
Naruto tensed at the politeness of Tsunade's behaviour, but complied. He didn't want to risk it and then be punish later. He noted they weren't alone in the room, but there was the man from before sitting on the chair. Naruto took the other chair. He hopped on the seat, since it was too high for him to sit normally.
"Naruto, you know Mr Uchiha here..." Tsunade pointed her hand on the raven-haired man and the man nodded his head in the greeting. "He'll be taking you with him."
"What...? now?" Naruto asked surprised.
"Yes, now. Now shut up." Tsunade hissed though her teeth, it was not meant to be heard by anyone, especially Mr Uchiha and yet, he heard it. He coughed and gained her attention. "Of course, now." She said, "We have all your things in one bag, it's already in Mr Uchiha's car." Tsunade said to Naruto.
Naruto was pouting, he was going away today? Why wasn't he happier, why wasn't he jumping from the joy? Because, what kind of a man was this Mr Uchiha. He looked old, and he looked as if he only read and never play. Naruto didn't like that. It meant he would have to go to school and do what other children his age did, and he wasn't at all like every other child.
"Tsunade, it was nice meeting you, now... we shall take our leave." Mr Uchiha said and got up. Naruto got up as well. "Naruto..." The man said Naruto's name, and he froze. It was something unfamiliar in the man's tone of voice that made Naruto froze. Mr Uchiha held his hand to Naruto for him to take it. Naruto cocked his head to one side, asking if whether it was okay of him to really do so. Mr Uchiha nodded his head. Naruto hesitantly reached his smaller hand and took Mr Uchiha's bigger one into his own. Mr Uchiha smiled, kindly.
Naruto smiled too.
XXX
Naruto was glued to the limousine window glass, resting on his knees. His eyes were following the trees outside, his fingers were tapping the glass when they passed the signposts on the road and his feet were dancing from one side to the other on the cushioned seat.
The blue eyes widened when they reached a big mansion, the limousine stopped in front of it and he heard Mr Uchiha get up from his sit.
"Naruto." Mr Uchiha called, Naruto turned around looking at the man, and biting his lip. "We're here." He said simply and waited until the same man who was with them at the orphanage opened the door. Mr Uchiha got out graciously as if he practised that movement for it to look so elegant. Naruto quickly followed.
"Mr Uchiha, do you live here?" He asked amazed when he saw how big the mansion really was.
"Yes, of course, and now so do you." Mr Uchiha chuckled before replying. "...and call me Sasuke."
Naruto nodded his head, feeling important, "Why did you decide to adopt me?" He asked.
"Because... we're the same..." Sasuke said, pointing at his heart. "...here."
And suddenly everything made sense and Naruto knew he wasn't alone anymore.