NARUTO:

BUT I DO HAVE A FATHER

BY Marlonian Hayes

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A Tribute to Father's Day

Part 2

The house is quiet this morning. I guess he isn't up yet. Always an early riser, although that trip to the playground must have wiped him out yesterday. Huh… he's just a bundle of energy. Maybe that's why I'm so reluctant to get out of bed today. The silence, its nice once in a while.

Well, it was nice. I can hear his little feet running through the halls of the small house. Just like every morning, he has to make his laps. I guess its his way of training for the academy. Either way, I don't mind waking up to it each morning.

Just as I thought this, the door to my own bedroom quickly slid open. The being to open it was too short to see from where I was laying on the hammock (which was his idea. I'm glad I followed up on it. Never slept better). However, it wasn't long before two gripped onto the white net and tipped it over just a bit. One of my legs slid over the side as I smiled down on the small face looking up.

"Good moming Imuka!" the child's sweet voice was as good as sugar to me. "Good morning to you too, Naruto." I said to him, my smile growing even broader, as I tussled his short blonde hair. With a giggle, the young boy pulled harder on the net, trying to pull himself up onto the hammock. "Naruto! Wait!" but I was too late.

The pressure on one side of the hammock caused the darned thing to tip. Before either Naruto, or I, realized it, I was sprawled on the wooden floor. My nose was pushed up and I swear I could see my scar. Sighing, I pushed my self up and looked at where the six year old was standing.

He just stood there, his back against the open door. Tipping his down a bit in shame, Naruto crossed his feet and placed his hands behind his back. Looking up at me a bit from under his hair, the young boy pouted his bottom lip. "I'm Sommy," Naruto's blue eyes glinted with unshed tears. I almost cried my self looking at his face. My colleagues warned me about this. They always told me I was a softy.

I sighed again and sat up. With one of my legs folded and another bent up, I just looked at the boy. Suddenly, a soft smile appeared on my face. "You know I can't stay mad at you," with that said, Naruto's face brightened up immediately. He smiled and quickly ran over to me. His outstretched arms wrapped around my neck as he gave me a large hug. Smiling, I returned the gesture.

Holding the child in my arms saddened me. Only one year ago, he was put into my care. Up till then, he was shuffled from house to house till he was able to walk. Then, he would usually wander the streets at such a young age. I bumped into him at the market one day, caught him stealing an apple. The little punk stuck out his tongue and three the fruit at me. I couldn't help but shake my head as I returned the item back to the clerk.

It was after that incident that I learned of whom the child was. My heart sank as pity quickly set in. Finally, the Third had enough of the child roaming the streets and ordered for him to be placed in a foster home. No one volunteered to take Naruto. So, I rose up and asked if I could care for the child. No one argued, feeling a little ashamed of themselves. Naruto is still young, and I've managed to look pass the fact that he has the Nine Tails within him.

Letting go of the child, I looked into his beautiful blue eyes. "Now, what do you want for breakfast this morning?" As always, Naruto was a character and exaggerated his actions a lot. Placing a finger on his chin and looking to the ceiling, the six year old began to think. His face changed as fast as a girl's mood could. It went from sure to doubtful and back to certainty.

It was only a moment before the boy pulled his finger away and pointed it up triumphantly. "I've got it! Why don't we have mamen!" I let out the largest sigh possible before answering the young being. "Again?! You had that for lunch and dinner last night! Don't you want oatmeal or even some cereal? It wouldn't kill me to make some-"

"No!" he was always a willful child, why should this day be any different. Naruto jumped out of grasp and ran to the open door. "I want mamen! I love mamen." 'Yeah, but you don't have to eat it all the time.' I thought to my self as I stood from the floor and followed the young boy down the short hallway. He ran like he was starving, and at times it seemed that way. I swear, I have never seen any person eat like he does. Its as if instead of a stomach, he received a never ending pit.

A few minutes later…

Naruto sat at the table, although he squirmed on the floor with impatience. "Is it done yet?" the young boy asked innocently. I stood there, looking into microwave as the foam bowl spun round and round. The green numbers slowly counted down the minutes: 2:34, 2:33, 2:32, etc. I was becoming a bit impatient, even though the time was short. For some reason, when one is in a hurry, time slows down. It does it on purpose, I know it does. Torturing me and testing me, by making me put up with the six year old. He always became fidgety when it came time to eat. Not even the fastest microwave would be able to cook fast enough to keep up with the hungry child.

I almost sighed with relief when the machine finally beeped three times, and the light went off inside. Quickly popping open the door I reached in the for the foam bowl. My hand quickly retracted once it realized that I had not used a pot holder. Shaking my stinging hand, as if to cool of the fingers, I reached for one of the pads.

Grabbing the steaming bowl, I set it on the low table and went back for a spoon. Picking up the first one I saw, I turned back to the hungry boy and smiled as I placed the spoon next to the empty bowl… the bowl was empty! I blinked a couple times, just to make sure. When I rubbed my eyes, making certain it wasn't the drowsiness, I still saw an empty bowl where ramen had once been. Looking up at Naruto, I saw his usual teasing face. With his eyes closed and a large smile on his face, the boy simply said, "Do we have any more?"

"Na-Naruto… did you, did you- never mind," I sounded exasperated and placed a hand on my face as I realized why our food money was so short all the time.

Later that day…

I had to go to the academy to teach my classes. I didn't worry too much about leaving Naruto at home during the mornings. He had lived on his own for a year before I picked him up. Besides, the boy wasn't all too messy. He cleaned up what little mess he did make. It was rather sweet though. Sometimes I'd come home to see him asleep in the middle of the floor, a dirty towel by his head. It would be stained with juice or something, along with dirt and dust. I didn't have much time to clean when it came to my job, so I always took him out for the ice cream the next day, just to say thank-you.

Today, I didn't have many papers to work on, so I decided to bring them home at the end of the day, and spend lunch at home with Naruto. As I walked up to the front door, I half expected the young child to come rushing out at the sound of me stepping on the creaky steps. If that didn't attract him, then maybe the smell of ramen would.

However, that was not the case. All was silent, even as I opened the door. "Naruto?" I called into the empty house, a bit worried for I had opened the door to a rather dark living room. "Naruto? I brought lunch," I set my bag of ramen on the floor and walked over to one of the windows. The shades were all pulled down. Pondering on the idea for only a moment, I pulled down on the string to open them. As they zipped up to the top of the window, I turned around to look at the room, and froze in horror.

"Naruto!" my eyes were wide, with amazement and anger. On the floor boards there was paint, glue, glitter, and paper shreds all over the place. Marker lined the walls and balls of tape created little caterpillars on the wood. The crayons I had bought him were scattered, as if they had just been at war. I realized that one of my eyes were twitching, ever so slightly at the site. "NARUTO!" I yelled once more.

There was the familiar sound of little feet on the floor. Then a blonde headed boy peeped around the corner. He walked into the room and looked up at my face. It didn't take him long before he realized what was wrong with me. "Imuka, I'm sommy. I was just having some fun, and I accidentally got stuff all over the pace." Naruto walked further into the room, a bit unease at my horrified face.

"Naruto, what were you thinking? There's paint all over the floor and-" that's when I took a good look at the six year old. 'Oh I don't believe this!' I thought angrily as I looked at the boy. He had his shirt off, it either being clean or even worse than the boy. Markers and paint made many marks all over the boys chest, and green glitter was scattered in his hair. Paint reddened the boy's hands, when he saw me looking at them, he quickly placed them behind his back.

I was speechless. Unsure of what to do, I tried forming words. Nothing would come out, as my lips flexed, trying to figure out what to say. Finally, I decided I couldn't say anything. Lifting my hands into the air, and letting them fall back at my side was all I could do. Sliding against the window and onto the floor, I leaned my head back against the wall. Closing my eyes, I tried to take in everything. I tried to think it over, not wanting to really yell at the boy.

With my eyes closed, I heard the boy run back into the rooms. I didn't bother to open my eyes, trying to make the horrible scene go away. It was a few silent moments before the boy returned. I heard the rustling of paper as well, and didn't want to guess what it was. Finally, I felt a small hand, gently touch my knee. Slowly opening my brown eyes, I looked at the blonde standing in front of me.

His hands were behind his back, and a large folded piece of paper was clasped in between them. Looking into my eyes, the boy smiled shyly. "I tuly am sommy. I thought, since that special day was coming up, I'd do sometime for you. He Imuka, I made this fo you!"

Suddenly, the hands shot forward, the paper immediately unfolding. I saw that it was not one piece of paper, but many different color pieces taped together. Glitter swirls and painted letters read a happy message for me. I smiled at the gift and tried my hardest to hold back the tears.

Naruto never knew his parents. Never knew their names, their faces, their love. He grew to be five and a half before someone actually showed care for him. Lonely, at that age. It must have been hard, but children in the village showed just how tough they were. Naruto always looked confused at the other children and their parents. He asked so much of me, and I tried to give him most of the answers. He especially seemed interested in having a father. Someone to influence him. Someone he can look up to and want to be like when he's older. I just never thought…

"Happy Fathem's day Imuka!" Naruto wore that award winning smile of his. I took the large sign and set it aside, then grasped the child in a tight hug. At first, I think he was confused. He didn't hug me back, but just allowed me to hold him. My tears were coming, and I couldn't stop the happy sobs. "What's the mattem, Imuka. Don't you like it?"

"Thank-you, Naruto, thank-you." Then, I felt the boy's arms wrap around my own neck, as he whispered, "You welcome."

End of Part 2

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