Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Toradora. Those rights belong to the mangakas.
Summary: It is sad when other people saw you as an akuma when they are not even know you. At a time like this, death sounds like fun. If he could asks for death, he will.
A/N: "talking" and 'thoughts'.
It was Monday and the sky was so clear, a perfect day to walk yourself in the park and doing something fun. For him, something fun is gathering with friends. Then why must his kind and caring cousin forbid him from going to school? Life is so unfair. "Oi, Takasu," A certain blonde called. "Can you tell me again what makes you think I shouldn't go to school? I assure you that I'm as fine as you can see. Besides, I heard everybody talks about palmtop tiger and I want to see it myself!"
Takasu Ryuuji sighed. Sometimes, his cousin can be so childish. "I never said you shouldn't go to school. I'm just saying that it'll be better if you rest at home."
"Yeah," Naruto rolled his eyes. After walking for fifteen minutes, the school finally came to view. "Do you think I care about small thing like health? Hell, I don't even care if I die having fun then so be it," he said as he noticed people was staring at him and began to whisper. What were they whispering about? Were they never saw handsome male like him? He smirked at the thought, coincidentally made the girls around him blush.
"For your information, the palmtop tiger you're talking about is actually a human. In fact, she's my friend," Takasu continued.
"Ohayou, Takasu!" A guy came then put his arm around the dark blue haired male. "Hey, I never seen you around before. Are you a new student here? Oi, is he your friend, Takasu?"
"Ohayou, Kitamura," Takasu smiled as he recognized his best friend. "Uh, not really. This is my cousin, Uzumaki Naruto. His body is weak since he was little and his parents never let him go to the normal school. But it seems they change their mind, so here he is. Naruto, meet my friend, Kitamura Yuusaku. He is the vice-president of the student council."
Naruto smiled, offering his hand to Kitamura. "A pleasure to meet you, vice-president."
"Please just call me Kitamura. It's almost time for class, so you better hurry. See you later, Naruto. And I'll see you in class, Takasu," He waved and left the cousins.
The two then continued their walk to their class. Fortunately, they were in the same class. They talked about random things until something suddenly hit Naruto on the stomach. The blonde glanced down to see a small girl throwing him a glare.
"Um, are you okay, Chibi-chan?" said Naruto. People began to whisper again. He vaguely heard they talked about him and a tiger. 'Tiger?' He looked around but found nothing. 'Wait, wait, wait. Didn't Takasu said that the palmtop tiger is a girl?' He glanced at the girl once again. "EEEHH?! Don't tell me that you're the tiger everyone's talking about?"
The girl tried to hit Naruto, but he dodged her well. She kept swinging her tiny little fist at him after that, forced him to grab his arm. "Listen, Tiger. I already said I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you in the first place. So can you stop hitting me? If you promise you won't hit, then I let you go."
She stayed still for a while but then she nodded shyly. Naruto smiled and let her go. As the girl stared at him, he thought maybe she finds his eyes are weird. Heterochrome. One is blue and the other is red with a vertical line in the center.
Her eyes widened in fear the more and more she stared. "A-A-Akuma!"
Takasu immediately looked at his cousin. He felt sorry when he saw that sad expression on Naruto's face. This is the first reason why Naruto's parents didn't agree his son studying at a normal school. They know other children will talk bad things about Naruto. Takasu followed him as Naruto walked out from the class. They were now alone in the corridor.
"Naruto, she doesn't mean to—" He tried to cheer him but Naruto cut him off.
"It's alright, Takasu. I'm used to this kind of situation," The blonde then turned to look at Takasu. "Have you ever think that I'm an—"
It was Takasu's turn to cut his cousin words. "Of course not. You're my cousin. And I know better than other people that you're not an akuma."
"Yeah, whatever. I think I'm going home," said Naruto. His face was so gloomy.
Takasu sighed, patted his cousin's shoulder. "Alright. Be careful. And don't forget to take your medicine, okay?" He saw Naruto nodded then left. Suddenly, something was boiling inside him. He rushed to the class and glared at a certain girl. "Why did you say such a mean word to him? That was uncalled for!" He shouted, scaring his classmate with his look and tone.
"Why are you blaming me? He's an akuma, you know! A real akuma!"
He really had enough of this stupid akuma thing. "HE IS MY COUSIN! Do you think that I'm an akuma too?" And before she had the chance to answer, he shouted, "He's the nicest guy I ever met. He thought maybe someday other people will stop calling him akuma and accept him as friend. Today is his first day in school after years of begging to his private doctor. He's not supposed to be out of bed, but he really wanted to see the palmtop tiger. He wanted to see you, the girl who said he was an akuma just like everyone else. And you dare to ask why am I blaming you?"
"What happened, Takasu-kun? Your voice can be heard from outside the class. Calm down." Kushieda Minori, the captain of the girl's softball club, walked to the class and rolled her eyes toward Takasu.
"I'm sorry if I'm bothering you. It just… I got so angry because Aisaka called my cousin akuma."
"Your cousin? You mean, the one with blonde hair and has some serious sickness?"
Takasu bitted his lips. "Yes, that one. You also right about he has some serious sickness part. But he wanted to meet the palmtop tiger badly. And when he met her, I think he understand that palmtop tiger isn't a nice person."
Kushieda turned to stare at the palmtop tiger named Aisaka Taiga. "What he just said is true or not, Taiga?"
Aisaka gasped, surprised. "Well, it's true, Minorin. But not all of it! At that moment, his eyes really scared me. Those are the eyes of an akuma."
"Well, I can asure you that he's a real human," she said calmly.
"What? But you haven't met him yet!"
Kushieda sighed. "Do I have to? He's my ex boyfriend after all," She shocked everybody with her words. "We broke up because of his sickness."
"Minorin…"
"You two misunderstood each other. I won't say who's wrong who's right, but I still think you overdid it, Taiga," Kushieda reprimanded.
Taiga pouted angrily. Yeah, maybe she was a little bit cruel, but that didn't mean they can blame her like that. "Glad to know it. And I don't care."
Naruto, now laying safe and sound on his bed, was bored to death. He wanted to go to school, wanted to have fun with Takasu and the others, wanted to do everything beside laying in bed. But he knew everybody was afraid of his eyes.
"Naruto-kun, you're home already? I thought today was your first day in school. Did something happen?" A mother-like figure stood in the doorway.
Naruto shooked his head, his hand covered his eyes. "Nothing happened. Don't worry, I'm fine. Just a little tired, that's all. Please continue your work, Ya-chan. I'll play video games or something later, okay?"
She frowned but nodded. "You know, you can talk to me whenever you want even if sometimes I said something stupid."
Naruto laughed half-heartedly. "I know that already. Just… leave me alone for now, can you?" The woman sighed then left his room. After her footstep can't be heard anymore, Naruto curled himself into a ball and began crying until he fell asleep, still wondering why everyone always saw him as an akuma.
A moment later, Takasu arrived at home, bringing two of his friends with him. He called for his cousin but got no answer. Then Ya-chan said that the blonde had been sleeping in his room since morning. Three of them went upstairs to Naruto's room.
"He's asleep. I guess we can cook some ramen and bring it here. Naruto loves ramen very much and he always wake up when he smells it," Takasu smiled.
Kitamura grinned. "Sounds like a good idea. I want some too. Don't forget to make one for me."
Kushieda sighed at his childhood friend. "We came here to apologize to Naruto-kun. You can eat ramen at your own home."
"Nah, don't be so cruel, Minori-chan. I'm starving to death, you know. What if i'm really die?"
Kushieda blinked then smiled brightly. "Eeehh? Isn't it a great thing, Yuusaku?"
"MEANIEEE!"
Takasu laughed at them. He then go downstairs to make ramen for all of them. Not so long after, he already came back to the room, bringing four bowls of ramen with him.
"Wuaaahh, thank you! I love you, Takasu! Itadakimasu!" Kitamura ate his ramen happily.
But even after they had finished eating, Naruto still hasn't woke up. They began to worry. What if something happened to Naruto? Takasu shivered. "I don't think this is a nice sign. We must call an ambulance. I'll go get a phone."
"No, let me get it," Kushieda ran down quickly and called an ambulance.
The good thing is the ambulance came immediately after the call was made. They then moved Naruto's body to the ambulance. Takasu noticed Kushieda was crying and comforted her.
From the window beside Naruto and Takasu's house, Aisaka the palmtop tiger flinched slightly at the red flashing light. An ambulance? And wasn't that the akuma she saw this morning? Whoa, there even Takasu, Kitamura, and her best friend, Minorin. Was something happened to the blonde? Was it her fault? No, it couldn't be her fault. She didn't do anything beside calling the blonde akuma. Right?