Red, White, and Blue
AN: This was inspired by a picture on Tumblr. This is based off events that actually do happen out there to some families. Maybe not in the exact way, but it does happen. And I don't care for reviews for this one, just so people can see how this effects some people out there. Although, I would really love reviews if I changed the way you guys look at things. Thanks, loves~
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Inside the large gym, the noise of everyone bustling around and commanding orders was pounding loudly in his ears. The place was so crowded, the heat was causing perspiration to slip down his temple.
He furrowed his eyebrows together in confusion and watched all the taller people who were primed and dressed to the occasion in navy blue coats and dark blue pants. Their black shoes were shinning and their hair either trimmed or pulled back into a tight bun.
Tables upon tables lined most of the area inside, one-fourth of them filled with delicious smelling food. Every table was filled with people, chatting away and eating. Over to the table next to him, the general stood up and clanked his fork against the glass of champagne.
"Everyone, everyone!" The excited bustle had dimmed down into whispers and the people walking around had stopped and looked forward to their commanding officer, hands placed behind their backs and faces stern. Everyone at his table turned their attention from their full plates to the man standing up, all wondering why they had been invited.
"I would like to congratulate everyone here! You all served your time overseas and we've a surprise for you!" The general's face broke into a grin and he placed his attention to the circular table behind him. "Kids, your parents are home!"
Everyone at the table broke into small cheers, causing a chain reaction of all the other tables to do the same. He, along with everyone else around him, began to look for his parents. Most of the kids jumped out of their seat and ran toward their parents, calling out 'mom!' or 'daddy!' and climbed into their lap.
But he couldn't find his parents. Worry immediately started to choke him and his stomach was churning. Where were his parents? He couldn't see them, either of them. His palms were beginning to sweat.
He glanced around the table and noticed a few more kids had stayed. There was a pair of obvious twins with the same dark features, a girl with outrageous pink hair, and a redhead holding the hands of a brunette and blonde.
They were all wearing the same face of worry and met each others' eyes. Everyone was staring at them, but they noticed something: the kids were looking on with confusion while the adults either looked on with pity or weren't even looking at all, just staring at the plates in front of them.
Dread filled his veins and he felt almost frozen stiff in the plastic chair. The general called for all eyes on him again.
"Ahem." He coughed, clearing his throat and trying to buy time. "When I call your name," his eyes flitted over to them so they knew who he was talking to, "I would like for you to come stand up in front of my table.
"Uzumaki, Naruto." His veins turned to ice when he pushed back his chair and walked in front of the man's table in a daze. He turned to the audience, but was watching the ceiling instead.
"Haruno, Sakura." He turned to see the pink haired girl gasp and pushed out of her seat, eyes wide with shock and legs dragging across the floor before she was next to him. They were looking at each other, trying to keep the sadden glances from the other officers out of their head.
"Uchiha, Sasuke and Uchiha, Itachi." The twins stood up and then Naruto realized they weren't twins, the obvious contrast blaring at him in the face. The smaller one of the two stood in between the Sakura-girl and the taller twin. The tall one looked completely unfazed by anything.
"Subaka Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara." The last three stood up and walked to the front. The blonde girl stood next to the tallest of them all, while the redhead was in the middle, and the brunette on the end.
And standing up there, they all saw their parents. Their smiling faces at the end of the room, eyes shining with pride. Naruto felt his jaw drop and eyes burn with unshed tears. His father's bright ocean blue eyes and smiling confidently, like nothing could stop him with his blonde hair gelled into spikes that were all over his head.
Next to him, his mother's dark violet eyes looked to be laughing. Her bright red hair was pulled back into French twist, her hair much too long for a regular bun. And all the other parents were there. But he paid no attention until a soft sob came from his left.
He was staring at the pictures of all their parents, both mother and father. They all held flowers around the wooden frames, with their old uniforms laid on a small table in front of them.
The loud clanking of heavy boots against the hard concrete floor brought him from his stupor and he watched a man with brown hair and a scar running across his face heading towards them, four American flags held in his hands.
And Naruto suddenly felt knew why he was there. He couldn't breathe at all and his vision became blurry with the tears finally leaking down his face. He closed his eyes in an attempt to keep them away, but couldn't. His small frame was shaking with sadness when the man stopped in front of him.
He looked up and tried to swallow the thick lump that formed in his throat and read over the nametag clipped to the navy coat. Iruka.
Iruka squatted down to Naruto's level and placed his hand down on the blonde's shoulder, offering a small smile and handing him the flag in his hand, following the routine to Sakura, Sasuke, and Temari. All of the kids standing up there were crying now, trying so desperately to not accept the truth that was right in their face.
Next to him, Sakura was shaking and sobbing. His heart hurt double now and it began to hurt even more when he saw them all like that. The only one who looked like he was still holding on was the taller male – and even he looked ready to crack.
He looked back to the pictures of his mom and dad and vowed to them that he wouldn't allow anyone going through what he was to feel alone. He would make them all feel loved and that someone was there.
He placed his gently on the girl's shoulder and smiled brightly at her. She looked at him before more tears spilled from her eyes and she closed her fingers around his.
He decided he would start with these six.