Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto and CP9 is property of Eiichiro Oda.
"Hey,"
Kalifa poked the boy lightly. He seemed asleep, but as an assassin with 5 years of experience under her non-existent belt, she knew better. His breathing wasn't as uniform as someone truly asleep. She could see the slight twitching of the boy's body, a very, very small twitch that would've been invisible to a mere civilian, ready to spring into action at a moment's notice.
"Hey gaki."
Kalifa poked him again.
No response.
"I know you're not asleep."
There! Kalifa could see his facial muscles moving somewhat. Kalifa poked him again. And again. And again.
'Wow, the gaki's really patient.'
Kalifa poked him, for the last time. She used a bit more force in her poke and coated it lightly with some Haki. The blonde immediately jolted upright. He might only be eight, but the boy's glare is on par with Rob Lucci's.
'How troublesome.'
Kalifa sighed. Why, oh why, did Blueno have to kidnap some random stray gaki from another dimension? What more a dimension where they apparently train kids from childbirth to be hired guns. Bloody idiot.
"Want some lunch?"
No point in being polite to the blonde gaki.
He muttered something under his breath, gave her another fatal glare before grudgingly taking the plate in Kalifa's outstretched hand, the chains around his hands clanking as he did so.
For a boy as young as he, he certainly wasn't picky about his food. Kalifa wondered, as she stared at the boy, what was the story behind those bright ocean blue eyes. It was unreal, totally unbelievable how a midget like him was somehow able to make the hallway explode. True, any of the Cipher Pol 9 members could make the hall explode, but not at the age of eight. Not only that, the eight-year had somehow managed to tire out Rob Lucci. At the age of eight.
Her mind was reeling from the pure ludicrousness of the whole incident.
The clink of plastic chopsticks against ceramic awoke Kalifa from her train of thoughts. Kalifa took the now empty plate from the bedside table and was about to leave the room but was stopped when she felt the boy tug on her sleeve.
Kalifa turned towards him, her eyebrows raised.
"Where's the guy?"
"What guy?"
Multiple questions raced through her mind.
"The guy with the pigeon."
"And what, may I ask, is your business with him?"
"It doesn't concern you."
"Whatever you say, brat."
Kalifa turned on her heels, plate in hand, and left the Infirmary.
'Oh great. I've lost my one chance to go out. Not only that, they decided to chain me to the bed!'
Naruto rattled the chain. The chain is of the sturdy type. Almost as tough as the alloys used to make ROOT issued kunais. It's only been a day and a half after his fight with pigeon guy, and his strength has yet to fully return.
His sensitive ears picked up heavy footfalls and his head turned to the doorway.
There stood the guy with horns. Blueno or something?
"Kalifa told me you were awake."
Blueno took a stool from the corner and sat on it, staring straight into the boy's eyes.
'A stare off? I can handle this.'
And so the big guy with horns and the small, injured blonde in bed glared and stared each other for quite a while.
Then came the fly.
There shouldn't be flies anywhere on the island. It was extremely well kept. No vermin, absolutely none, should exist on the island.
But there it was. It nestled somewhere in the boy's hair.
Blueno's right eyelid started twitching.
No! He will not lose to the gaki!
So they stared some more. And the fly started flying around.
'Stupid fly! It's making me lose my concentration! And I have no weapons to kill the fly!'
Splat!
Naruto blinked.
Both his hands were held in the position of someone praying and Naruto couldn't seem to find the fly anymore. Blueno noticed Naruto staring at his hands, he merely raised an eyebrow.
"Kalifa tells me you developed an interest in one of our members. Why?"
"Why would you want to know?"
"Though you are only eight years of age, you have the potential to fatally wound one of our agents. And yet still you ask me why?"
The boy bit his lips, hesitating.
"I, uh- well. I kinda think, that, hisfightingstyleisveryimpres siveandIwannalearnafewthings fromhim."
"All of us practice the same style. I can easily teach you myself."
"U-uh, he has better mastery of your style."
His comment was followed by an unnatural silence. The boy was red in the face to a certain extent.
"Tell me about yourself."
"That information is highly classi-"
"That wasn't a request, that was an order."
"I don't have to answer to you!"
"I practically have your little life in my hands. You do have to answer to me."
The stubborn blond mustered something under his breath and took to maintaining his silence.
Two can play at that game.
So Blueno sat on his stool, staring far off through the one window in the Infirmary.
Time passed.
The boy sighed.
"What kind of information do you need?"
Blueno studied the boy on the bed for a while. He was perfectly honest this time.
"Everything."
"Naruto. 8 years 7 months."
"What are your abilities? What can you do?"
"I am adept in hand-to-hand combat. I can do A-class ninjutsu and I am quite skilled with the sword. Anything else you would like to know?"
Blueno scrutinized the boy. Skilled with the sword? The boy's puny frame had no muscle usually associated with swordsmen. Hand-to-hand combat? Well, the boy did fight Rob Lucci to a standstill.
"Brat, how old are you really?"
"I'm 8 years and 7 months, I just said that!"
"At 8, all of us were still training. None of us could do what you did and what you can do at your age."
"Yeah so? That just means I'm way better than any of you."
"Brat, are you sure you did not eat any Akuma no Mi?"
"The Devil's Fruit? What is that fruit you guys keep talking about?"
"Answer the question boy. You have never eaten the Devil's Fruit?"
The boy sighed.
"No. No, I have not."
He seemed to want to say something else, but was hesitating.
"There is something else you wanted to say. Speak."
He shook his head.
"Alright. I shall leave you for today. Someone will send your meals. If I find you out of bed, the consequences will be dire."
"But-"
"You shall do as I say."
With that, Blueno stood up from the stool and walked out of the Infirmary without looking back. He could feel Naruto's eyes on the back of his head.
"YOYOI! Blueno! What did the boy say?"
"Hm."
"Chapapa. Come on Blueno, tell us."
"Later. When the whole team's around. I don't want to repeat it."
Both of them shared looks and shrugged.
Blueno surveyed the parlour. Kalifa was probably in her own room, doing girl things. Kumadori and Fukurou were the only ones around playing shogi. He knew Rob Lucci was on a mission to god knows where. As for Kaku and Jyabura, well, they're most likely off on missions as well.
After losing badly to Fukurou one time too many, Kumadori left the parlour, not in the best of moods. After some time, Fukurou decided to exit the parlour as well. The lounge looked spacier than the usual. Most of the normal occupants weren't around. It was kind of quiet, without the rest of the team. It was the nice kind of quiet.
Blueno made a cup of cappuccino for himself and dominated the most comfortable armchair in the common room with the daily news in hand.
Time went on its merry way as Blueno enjoyed his most peaceful alone time for the first time in years.
All of a sudden, the tranquility was broken by the screeching of metal against marble and the clanking of metal chains.
Blueno's senses immediately switched to high alert.
Naruto!
AN: Writer's block. I apologize to those who have been waiting. Let me know what you think and if there's something you want to see in the story, mention it in the review and I'll consider it. Am running low on ideas.
