Well isn't this nice Hashirama thought as he was eating his most favourite treat in the world. After suffering nearly a whole day with the blond abomination he was downright exhausted. Even when he woke up he hardly had enough energy to lift his head. But now, he sat in his favourite shop eating his favourite food and enjoying a normal day…Actually it was his last normal day. He spent his last piece of allowance on that dango-and some spares he kept in his pocket. You know why he did that? Well let me remind you that in the next hour he will be starting the shinobi academy.
"My life is officially over" He grumbled
"Oh come on Baka, Being a ninja isn't that bad!" Anko said, nudging him form the side
"Easy for you to say. You could just show up and make people wet themselves" He replied
"Oh why thank you Baka, you're turning into quite a charmer yourself" She said, taking what Hashirama said as a complement. Said boy glared at the snake
"What does that supposed to mean?" He said already knowing what she was suggesting as he has remembered the previous day in great detail.
"Oh. You know. It involves a small blond about yay high, kinda cute when around a slightly taller boy who is named after a certain Hokage"
"She is not cute" He sneered as much as a six year old could.
That's like the third time I someone call us that WRETCHED WORD!
"Come on Baka. You know it's true. In fact I have evidence" Anko pulled out an envelope which had BLACKMAIL written on it with big bold letters. At the sight of is, Hashirama paled
"W-W-What are y-you gonna do w-w-with that?" He trembled
"Hmmm I don't know. I could have it turned into fliers and pass it along to everyone in Konohagakure"
"Y-You wouldn't d-do that to your pal Hashirama-Baka would you?"
"Hmp" She pouted before smirking deviously at Hashirama "I'm actually offended Baka. You know I'm far more capable than that"
"Haha" He laughed nervously "Sorry Anko-chan what I mean to say was-yoink!" Quick as a fox he grabbed the envelope and ran like the wind, hoping the Jonnin wouldn't catch him
"Hehehe" He smiled before stepping out of the Dango'n'dumpling stand humming a happy toon. She knew the Baka would try and snatch the pictures, so instead she made a few copies of the photo and pulled some strings to give the little thief a guaranteed heart attack.
Now time to get some popcorn!
Elsewhere, an Uchiha was walking side by side with his beloved brother. This was his first day and was a milestone to catching up and ultimately surpassing his brother. His dream was coming true and he will fulfil it.
"Brother, do you have any tips for me?" He asked
"Hmm" The older Uchiha thought "You should stay in the academy as long as possible and learn as much a possible"
"But brother, you graduated when you were six, you spent just one year in the academy"
"Oh I was something special. A jonin took interest in me and made me her apprentice"
"Really? Who is she?"
"A woman named Kushina. She was a friend of our mother. She taught me when I was very young"
"Wow. That Kushina woman must be strong"
"What makes you say that?"
"She did teach you"
"Hmm I guess she is" Itachi chuckled. As they neared the academy, Itachi's gaze drifted to the swing under a tree. He liked that tree. It was where he and Kushina-sensei would take brakes and was the tree where he learnt how to tree climb using chakra. It was only by chance he saw Uzamaki Naruko.
He was one of the ANBU the Hokage trusted to watch the poor girl. Unlike the people who scorn her, Itachi could understand her to an extent. She felt pain and anger which shouldn't exist in the first place. Her goal to be Hokage, to be recognised, was born out of that anger. Light out of the darkness. A very rare phenomenon.
"Aniki? Who are you looking at?" Sasuke asked
"It's nothing Ototo"
Meanwhile, Hashirama, after realising he managed to lose Anko, slowed down to a walk as he opened the envelope. A tick mark bulged on his forehead as he looked at the dozens of pictures him and Naruko. Most of them were pictures of them running and a few incidences where he tripped and fell on her. Apparently they were perfectly organised from bad to worse. He grew red when he saw the last picture. It was him and a sleeping Naruko facing the sun set in the background with their back turned to whoever took the picture
Who?...That silver haired ANBU!
"I bet he was working with Anko" He grumbled "I bet she paid him off. That psychotic wo-"
"HASHI!"
Oh god not her! Please! I can stand being a ninja but not with her!
One second Hashirama was standing in front of the academy, the next he was slowly being driven insane by the golden blond cyclone who didn't know how to shut up. During this everyone was staring at them. The academy teachers, the clan heirs, everyone. The students were trying not to laugh as they were with their parents. But the adults…They had the same faces as that mob from the day before…
"Hello? Hashi? Anyone in there?" Naruko waved
"…What is it Fishcake?" He sighed. As much as he didn't what to admit it, he knew he would have to be around her for the next six years…That's six years worth of memories he can't forget.
"What did I tell you yesterday?! Don't call me Fishcake" Naruko grumbled, hoping no one heard.
"Yea yea so what do y-"
"Hay what's that in your hand?!" She interrupted before lunging to the photos in his hands. Girl has an attention span of a gold fish, perhaps shorter
"What? No!" But it was too late. She managed to grab most of them…including the one with the sun set. Hashirama watched nervously as she flipped through the photos
Flip
Flip
Flip
Suddenly the sky grew dark and the air grew thick. A small amount of killing intent was leaked into the air by Naruko giving an ominous and heavy feeling. Lightning flashed as Naruko turned towards him, her hair casting a shadow over her eyes. "…P-E-R-V-E-R-T!" She fumed,
"Hay hay now. Naruko I promise that I didn't take those pictures. It was an ANBU I swear. Besides I'm just a kid" Hashirama was sweating bullets. If she wanted to, she could kill him with a long slow process called nagging. And yet somehow he knew she thought he was lying
"I'm throwing this away. Don't move" She glared before running off.
"I hope you burn them" Hashirama grumbled
"Hahaha first day and he already had a girlfriend!"
Hashirama turned around and glared at a boy no younger than he was with two red triangles on his cheeks
"I'm six years old" He growled at the wild-and stinky-looking boy
"So? That girl got you whipped!" He smirked
"I only met her yesterday Dog breath"
"What did you call me, Pink eyes?!"
"You want to put your money where your mouth its!"
"Oh yea! 5000 ryo say I'll be rookie of the year!"
"You're on dog breath! By the end of this year I'll be 5000 ryo richer!" Suddenly two girls appeared and grabbed the ears of both boys, one blond, one looking like a older and female version on Kiba. She was also accompanied by three large dogs.
"Shut up Hashi. We're supposed to make friends of the first day" She scolded
"Kiba! What did I say about picking fights?" As the boys struggled, both complaining about it being embarrassing, Hana Inuzuka looked at Naruko and grinned who happily returned it. She knew of coarse that she held the most strongest of all bijūs. But unlike the stupid villagers the Inuzuka treated her as a hero as the Yondaime Hokage wanted. In fact they would have adopted her as would clans such as the Nara clan, the Yamanaka clan and the Akimichi. Heck even the stuck up Hyuga's would have because the clan leader Hiashi was friends with Minato and respected his wishes. But somehow the counsel stopped them by unknown means.
At the same time Naruko felt happier then when she got her apartment. One would look upon the scene right now and would think that they were kids being kids. That it was normal…And that what made it great! She was finally getting a childhood and respect, even if it was buried deep deep deep in their minds. And it all started with Hashirama.
"Hello little girl" Hana greeted to Naruko "My name's Hana. What's your name?"
"Naruko" She chirped before jerking Hashirama's ear "And this is Hashirama"
"I can introduce myself you know" Hashirama spoke, sadly no one heard
"And this is Kiba" Hana said, also giving him a jerk by the ear "So you're Hashirama. The boy who was named after the shodai Hokage"
"You know me?" Hashirama asked as Naruko let go of his ear "Is it because of my pranks? Because I made sure I didn't harm any of the shinobi clans"
"Pranks? Oh no I'm actually a big fan of your art. No, there's this rumour that you were given your name by our Sandaime Hokage"
"Jiji named Hashi? I didn't know that"
"Yea me neither" This was new to Hashirama. He figured that whoever named him must have had connections to the Senju clan as they don't take likely to people who take the name of one of their greatest ancestors but wow. He had met the Sandaime before but to think that that old man named him…But why did it take this long to discover this?
"Hey Fishcake? You said that the Hokage gave you a house. That means you have a kind of connection with him right?"
"Yip. I've known him since as long as I can remember"
"Then after today can you take me to see him? I have some questions that needs answering"
"Sure Hashi" Hashirama turned back to Hana who had let Kiba go and repair his non-existing reputation. Surprisingly to Hana, he bowed.
"Thank you for telling me this. I was always wanted to know who gave me this name"
"You're welcome" She smiled "I should be going now. I have to some animals to take care of" And she left, leaving Hashirama with Naruko.
"So" He sighed "I guess this is it. Six more years till I become a shinobi"
"We" Naruko interjected "We're going to be shinobi"
"Right" He sighed again only more deeper
"Hashirama"
Said boy jumped a bit as he relived his most hated and traumatising memory. He had gotten used to reliving it, but it still hurt. He heard that voice before. He heard it around the time of that incident. Though it was a traumatic event is did have gaps. The voice had caused him to relive it every time he heard it. At least now he could stand up to that certain memory. So he looked up, to face an old friend
"Hi ya Sasuke, Itachi"
"Hashirama" Spoke Sasuke
"Hashirama-san" Said Itachi. Hashirama turned to Naruko
"Fishcake. Can you go away for a while, I want to talk to these guys for a sec" He said to her. When it looked like she was about to speak he interrupted "I'll tell you later. Please, I need some privacy"
"…Okay. Come find me before class" Then she ran off, to Kami knows where
"I guess you're entering the academy to hmm?" Hashirama said, turning around to face his old friends
"Yes. Sasuke wanted to become a ninja and try and surpass me"
"Do you really have to tell him that?" The younger Uchiha said slightly annoyed
"Sorry Sasuke"
"Hmp, still look up to your brother Sasuke? Good. Glad you haven't changed so we won't need to catch up with each other" Hashirama smiled
"So you're Ok from that…?" Sasuke asked
"Don't remind him Sasuke. I think he is trying to forget"
"That's Ok" Hashirama said "You don't need to worry since I am used to it"
"What do you mean used to it"
"Oh that's right, you guys don't know" He smiled sadly "That incident caused me to develop Hyperthymesia. I remember it clear as day"
"…I'm sorry Hashirama-san" Itachi solemnly replied
"Aniki?" Sasuke asked "What is Hyper...hyperth…"
"Hyperthymesia" Hashirama answered "It makes me remember every day of my life with every detail. I can recall every day of my life since then without even trying. I just remember everything…It's hard to explain"
"…Oh" realising what it meant
"Don't worry I manage. I developed a technique that allows me to block some memories but it doesn't work on normal one"
"Really?" Itachi said, surprised that a child could fight of his own mental mutation "You must be strong to be able to do that"
"It's not that hard once you get used to it" he shrugged
"I see" Itachi looked at the academy "I remember my time in the academy. It was a yearlong but…it was a very peaceful time" He looked and the two boys "I want you two to promise me to become good friends by the time you graduate"
"Hai!" They shouted just before the bell rang, signalling the beginning of school.
"Come on Sasuke! I'll introduce you to Naruko!" Hashirama shouted, running of too class
"Ok!" Sasuke smiled, happy he was having a good start to the year. A smile touched the elder uchiha's face before disappearing. He has a coup to prevent
"Naruko?!" He called "Naruko!...Fishcake!"
"Don't call me that!" Suddenly Naruko appeared, seemingly out of thin air "Hashi come on. I want to be first in class"
"Wait" He interrupted "Fishcake, this is Uchiha Sasuke, Sasuke this is Fis-Uzumaki, that's right Uzumaki Naruko"
"Hi"
"Hey, now come on!" She grabbed both boys by their wrists leading them past the students who were unlucky enough to be walking by. As they ran Hashirama felt a cold shiver run down his spine before arriving at a door.
Something tells me I shouldn't step through that door He thought
When he saw Naruko going to open the door he yelled "Wait NO!"
The Sandaime hokage grinned to himself as he finished the last of his paperwork. Now, yes now he had time to do what he enjoyed most. That was reading Icha Icha. But first he felt like checking on his adopted daughter. Walking into his private room he sat in front of his viewing orb. He felt sad that he couldn't congratulate Naruko personally. He would have to do it later tonight with ramen. Channelling chakra into the orb he was welcomed with the image of the class Naruko should be in.
.
.
.
"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Anko and Kakashi waited patiently for their pray. Anko was anyway. Kakashi hid because it was his job, that being protecting Naruko. He couldn't believe how cruel Anko was some times. Sure her hobby consisted with torturing people in the most inhumane way possible but this was by far the cruellest. At first when Anko approached him the previous day asking him to take a picture of Hashirama and Naruko he just complied and took a few pictures. If he knew she was going to do THIS then he would down right refused. Kakashi had heard that Hashirama has a disability that makes him remember everything. He probably knew that he took the pictures. If he saw this then he would tell NARUKO! AND IF HE TELLS NARUKO THEN HIS FUTURE TEAM WAS SCREWED! He was sweating now. He was hoping the teachers would have stopped Anko but no. They were too afraid.
Suddenly he heard footsteps coming from the door and he knew it was her. Anko made sure she and that boy would be the first in.
Kami, If you love me please don't let this ruin my plans …
All around the room was pictures. Thousands of dollars' worth of ink laid out in front of him. Nailed to the walls of the class room were pictures Hashirama found in the envelope an hour ago. There were so many pictures around the walls you couldn't even see the wooden walls anymore. But that wasn't the worst part. No. It was the particularly large one in the front of the class
Upon seeing this Hashirama's eye brow started having spasms
Twitch
Twitch
Twitch Twitch
Seeing this he knew three things.
One is that Anko did it.
Two…
THAT MOTHERF#^KING ANBU IS so DEAD!
And three…
"I hate all of you" He mumbled.
And so began six years of teasing and moping
After school Hashirama decided after hours of constant pointing and laughing he should just let Naruko take him to the Hokage. You know, to take his mind of things-which is near impossible to do. The first day at the Academy was hell. When he was informed that he would be joining the Academy, he thought he would be running around and throwing kunai everywhere but no! Instead he was stuck in side for hours at a time lessoning to lectures. Didn't they know you couldn't kill people by talking about the five great nations? Apparently not. But then the worst happened. A teacher by the name of Iruka growled him for not paying attention! I mean he could remember everything in his life even if he wasn't paying attention! After telling Iruka that he was forced to explain his disability to everyone. No this was not a good day for Hashirama.
Sasuke on the other hand did a lot more better than he did. All the teachers talking about was how Sasuke was going to be just like his brother. He hit it great with everyone and even Naruko. When I say hit it great I mean great. He practically had fan girls already forming a club! Really?! At least he still hanged out with Hashirama and Naruko. Well more like Naruko and him protecting him from the fan girls. And they call him a disabled person. Come on people! They probably suffer from obsessive compulsive disorder and they have the nerve to call him disabled. In fact a majority of the girls looked as though they had something wrong with their heads, Naruko included. Especially when one considers that she yells 'Dattebayo!' everywhere she goes. How did she even come up with that word?
Anyway back to the matter at had
"So Fishcake" Hashirama started at they treed to the Hokage tower "Tell me again how you know the Hokage of all people?"
"I already told you. Jiji always looked after me and took care of me before everyone else"
"But why would the Hokage want, to know you? You got to be a bit special for the strongest ninja in the village to take notice of you"
Wack!
"Ow!"
"Don't you underestimate me? I'm going to be the first female Hokage!" she yelled as they entered the tower
"Yea yea but really, once you think about it you have no real reason to be connected to the Hokage"
"Don't say that" Naruko growled "Jiji was there for all of my life. He was the only one in this village who cared for me. Until you came along he was the only person I had"
"…I'm sorry Naruko. But you're missing the point. He is protecting you for a reason. From what I have seen, most of the villagers hate you. I might be young but I'm not stupid" He turned to the small blond next to him "Fishcake, this might sound odd but I think your family did something horrible in the past and they're punishing you for their crimes. It only makes sense"
"But I never knew my parents. How could everyone know and not me?"
"I don't know but I've seen some of the faces. Some of them look like they're holding a secret…Forget about it. I think I'm just being paranoid"
"What's paranoid mean?"
"I think it means when you're scared of something" He didn't like to brag but with his memory he memorised a few pages of a dictionary, hence his vocabulary increased but that's another story for another day. After they climbed the staircase the duo approached the secretary's desk where the secretary allowed them in to the old man's office. She was one of the few people who did not hold a grudge agonised the blond. She was even happy when she saw a young boy following her.
Any way back to the story
"Naruko!" The wrinkled Hokage greeted
"Jiji!" She half yelled before jumping over the desk and enveloping him into a hug. It lasted a few more moments before she jumped right over to Hashirama who watched the whole ordeal awkwardly
"Jiji, this is Hashirama" She wrapped her arm around his neck and dragged him closer to the Hokage "Hashirama this is Jiji"
"Fishcake!" He moaned "Do you think you can be a little less rough with me? And I don't think I can just call him old man like you do"
"A very polite boy are you" The Hokage smiled a warm elderly smile. On the inside he was snickering to himself for two reasons. One was that the boy, who was named after the man who hunted and captured bijuu, is friends with the jinchūriki of the most strongest one of them all. How ironic. Two…Fishcake was a very funny nickname
"Ah yea…" Hashirama said, not knowing how to act in front of the village leader "Um Hokage-sama? Is it true that you named me?"
"…Oh. So you're that Hashirama"
Said boy tilted his head to the side in confusion "Is there another Hashirama in the village?"
"Ah no but there could be"
"Not likely" Hashirama shot "A clan like the senju doesn't let people name their children after their proudest ancestor. That's why I'm curious about who named me"
"…What you say is true but…you don't sound your age" He said eyeing the boy with curiosity
"Hyperthymesia" He said bluntly. He was tired bout telling people of his condition "It make things heck of a lot easier to remember. So anyway I want to ask you if there was a reason why you named me Hashirama?"
"Well to be honest it was just a spur of the moment. One of my ninja found you the day after the kyuubi attack. If my memory serves me correctly he said he found you on top of the Shodai Hokage's head in the valley of the end. I thought it would be a fitting name"
"That's it? So you just found me and gave me the name of the most strongest Hokage? Just like that?"
"You don't like it?"
"No, no not at all. It's just that people think I'm royalty and I really don't like it. It took me years of pranking to turn their opinions of me"
"Now why would you do that? They would have treated you like a prince"
"Prince?" Naruko said from the couch she was sitting on "Why would you give that up Hashi?" She didn't understand why someone would do such a thing. She has been fighting for the respect she always wanted. But Hashirama willingly threw that way. Why would he do that?
"Because…An old friend once told me that respect can't be given it has to be earned" Hashirama smiled a sad smile. What he said wasn't the exact words spoken to him but he that was the words he lived by. The sadness did not go undetected as the Hokage suddenly remembered the report given to him regarding Hashirama. He could understand that the boy was still grieving but he was concerned with his mental health. Great ninjas break under less stress the boy was under. He was amazingly strong willed for a mere boy.
Naruko smiled when he said that "That's exactly like my dream" She stated. Hashirama brightened a bit. No matter how angry he was with her, she would always give him one more reason to stay.
"So it is. I guess we can gain that respect together"
The Hokage sighed mentally but it was not of frustration but of relief. His adoptive granddaughter finally had a friend who cared for her. It made him feel like he wasn't a complete failure.
"That reminds me!" Naruko chirped to the Hokage "Jiji, Hashirama told me he lived in an orphanage. So since he's my friend now, can he come live with me?"
"What?! When did we agree on this?!"
"Oh…I didn't tell you?"
"No. No you didn't"
"I don't see why he can't live with you" Sarutobi interrupted. To be honest it wasn't the best idea. If he were to live with her, people would attempt to harm him. But something in the back of his mind told him that it was ok
"Yes! I get a roommate!" Naruko cheered
Oh great Hashirama sighed I only met her yesterday and now she's bugging me to live with her…Though it would be good to get out of that run down orphanage
"Well I guess I could live with you Fishcake" He smiled before turning to the Hokage "But I might need some money, for food'n'stuff"
"No problem. That can be easily arranged" As he was saying that he suddenly felt as if he was paying him to live with Naruko
"Ok then it's settled" He looked back at Naruko who had a smile as bright and might Gai "So where is our house?"
