Originally posted on aff 2007-06-29 - 2008-05-07
I.
- They're coming to take me away, ha, ha. They're coming to take me away, hah, ha. To the funny farm, where life is beautiful all the time and I'm happy to see those nice young men in those clean white suits. They're coming to take me away, ha, ha! -
I hate that song.
- The brats. –
It wasn't my fault! It's not my fault I don't have a mom or a dad or a real family. It wasn't my fault I got shipped around to foster homes. It wasn't my fault that the kid had gotten the shit beat out of him for calling me names.
- I hate insults. -
I only remember the brat shoving me into my locker and calling me a stupid little faggot before Kyuubi punched his nose in. Kyuubi beat the crap out of the kid, beat him bloody, and when the teachers came with the school police the kid was screaming and crying and choking on his own blood as they pulled Kyuubi off him. But they weren't calling Kyuubi's name. No, they were screaming 'Uzumaki Naruto!' as if I could do anything to stop Kyuubi.
- Stupid brat. –
Kyuubi tried to struggle, I know he did, because I wore handcuffs and I was sitting in the cold plastic back seat of a police car. The principle was talking to the cops, probably telling lies about me. Probably that I instigated the fight and mauled a poor, good student. I could see the brat's mom, wailing and crying, probably cursing at me, as her angel of a son was loaded into an ambulance.
- Hmph. An ambulance. I only broke his nose. -
They saw me break his nose. I tried to tell them it was you, but they wouldn't believe me.
- Wonder why. – Kyuubi didn't quite sneer, glaring at the faces that were staring at me through the glass. The kid's friends were making faces at me, their fingers pointing at their heads and moving in a circle. I'm not crazy!
- They think you are. –
I'm not!
- Doesn't matter. – Kyuubi told me. He was leaning against the window, staring at the mother who was still bawling. – How long do you think she'll cry? Hunh. All because her perfect little spit of DNA got the crap beat out of him. -
How can you be so calm about this?
- I hate insults. Brat got what he deserved. -
The door to the police car opened then and I could hear everything, the tumult of voices stopping when the cop closed the door, turning to smile at me. I didn't like his smile. Kyuubi didn't either.
"I hear you've had a lot of trouble lately, Uzumaki-kun."
Don't speak to me like we're friends! "It wasn't my fault!"
The cop only smiled. "Well, where you're going, you don't have to worry about anything. You'll be with your own kind."
- What the hell does that mean!? – Kyuubi raged. I felt tears pricking my eyes. I didn't want to go away. It wasn't my fault. Why didn't anyone believe me? Why does no one ever believe me? I just want to go home. I want to go home!
- We don't have a home. –
"I'm not crazy," I whispered as the cop started the engine and slowly pulled away from the school. My words fell on deaf ears and my only comfort was Kyuubi. He, at least, liked me. Kyuubi always played with me when no one else would. He protected me when no one else did. Kyuubi was my friend.
- You're my friend too, Naruto. -
Don't leave me, Kyuubi.
- I won't. I promise. -
Kyuubi smiled at me, just a little quirk of the lips and nothing more. I smiled back, nothing obvious, because I knew my smile could be construed for something and I didn't like the cop who was driving me. See, the thing is, I think this particular cop and I had met before, but I couldn't remember. What I did remember was that I had a rap sheet already and the judge had given express orders to behave myself or else.
- I guess this is the 'or else' part. -
The city was giving way to trees about two hours in and the cop was turning on the radio, singing along with some song or another. I wished I could cover my ears, but my hands were cuffed. I couldn't even tell the cop to turn the radio off; he'd probably nightstick me or something. So all I could do was stare out the window and watch the trees go by. It was almost lulling, watching those trees go by, and I could feel my eyes getting heavy. I just wanted to fall asleep, but self-preservation kept me from falling asleep completely. The sun was going down when the cop made a left turn up a long driveway, and I could see the roof of a tall building over the tops of the trees.
Gravel crunched under the wheels and the brakes gave a high-pitched whine when we stopped. The cop got out and moved to greet a rather pretty lady.
- Pretty with giant tatas. -
Kyuubi!
- Making an observation. -
The lady pointed at me ten and the cop looked sheepish as he moved to haul me out of the car. He kept a firm grip on my arm after he'd taken the handcuffs off me. We followed the lady into the building, the cop jerking my arm to the point my shoulder hurt. Kyuubi stamped on the cop's foot and bolted down the hall. All I could do was watch as we ran and the cop gave chase. The lady only looked amused. We ran until we lost the cop, laughing in our freedom until we turned the corner and collided with another body. We both fell down, but the man recovered first.
"Are you okay?"
I looked up into the kindest, warmest, dark eyes I'd ever seen. The only blemish on the man's face was the long scar crossing his nose and cheeks, but I didn't care. The man was crouching beside me, smiling at me in relief that I wasn't hurt. The brunette man helped me up and patted my head.
"You must be Uzumaki Naruto-kun," the man said. "Tsunade-sama said you'd be arriving soon."
"Who are you?" I asked. Even Kyuubi was silent, no doubt in awe of the man who was so obviously a doctor but hardly looked it.
"My name is Umino Iruka. I'm one of the psychiatrists here."
I frowned but Iruka only smiled. "Where is here?"
Iruka gestured me to follow once he'd picked up the files that had scattered on the floor. We walked I don't know how long, but our destination was his office. I stared at the place, awed, because it wasn't like any office of a psychiatrist I'd been in before. Pictures hung on the wall, a bookshelf chock-full of every kind of book, beanbag chairs and random stuffed dolphins, even one or two scarecrows. Iruka smiled at me when I let out an amazed breath.
"Well, mine may be a bit over the top, but,"
"I like it." I said.
- Me too. -
Iruka smiled and moved to file away the folders in his hands. I continued to explore his office, my eyes going wide at the sight of a stuffed nine-tailed fox nestled beside a blue-furred wolf.
"Kyuubi,"
Iruka turned to me, nodding. "I got those two a few months ago. They don't have names yet."
I picked up the fox. "This is what Kyuubi looks like."
"Really?" Iruka asked. "Always figured he looked like a Kyuubi."
- He's making fun of me! -
Shut up.
"Iruka-sensei," I finally ventured. "This place?"
"This is Konoha Psychiatric Hospital," Iruka replied. I could only look at him, but I couldn't be angry. Everyone thought I was crazy.
"I don't need a shrink," I grumbled. Iruka laughed, catching me and Kyuubi by surprise.
"No, I don't think you do," Iruka said, coming over to me, hands on his hips. "I think you need one more friend than Kyuubi."
I could only stare in awe at Iruka, feeling tears prick my eyes. I think Iruka was the first person Kyuubi let hug me. No, Iruka was the first person to ever WANT to hug me. I cried into his shoulder until I fell asleep.
