Chapter Three: Of Presents and Porn

Five Years Later

"Thank you, come again."

As the last customer leaves for the day, I sigh in relief, greedily eyeing a small stack of books sitting behind the counter. They're some really rare medical texts – an 18th birthday present from Shikaku-sensei. The store was so busy today; I haven't even had a chance to flip through them. I've just turned the lock in the door when the handle jiggles from the other side and I hear a muffled voice speaking in agitation, "No, it can't be closed yet! Not this one, too! Hello?! Is anyone in there?" The person begins banging loudly on the door. I look longingly back at my books; I only wanted a few minutes with them before Iruka and Naruto arrived…but I guess they can wait a little while longer. Opening the door, I'm immediately forced to take several quick steps backwards to keep both myself and my visitor from tumbling to the ground.

"You're still here!" he cries, rushing forward and throwing his arms gratefully around my shoulders. "I'm saved!"

What was with this guy?! "Umm…can I help you with something?" I ask, looking at him with a bemused expression.

A single ebony eye, the other obscured by his ninja headband, desperately meets my own. "The other store was already closed! Please, I MUST have the new volume of Icha Icha!

For a split second I consider the fact this might be a joke. Mizuki and a few of his buddies occasionally try pulling stuff like this – coming into the shop with stupid requests, wasting my time. But something about this guy seems different…

"The new volume just came out; I haven't had a chance to stock them yet," I reply. "However, if you'll let go of me, I can go get one from the back."

The odd young man has the decency to look slightly embarrassed as he finally releases my shoulders. "Thank you SO much!" he calls as I head into the storeroom.

It doesn't take me long to find what I'm looking for, but when I step back out into the storefront I discover the ninja has made himself at home behind my desk, and is flipping through my birthday presents from Shikaku-sensei. "Generally, my work area is off limits to the customers," I remark, slightly annoyed.

His single eye meets mine once again, but the desperation from before has been replaced with a sort of appraising curiosity. "This is some pretty heavy reading," he replies, waving one of my books in the air.

I don't see any reason to lie, but I don't really want him asking any more questions either, so I politely respond, "They were a birthday present. Would you like me to wrap your book?"

At the sight of the new Icha Icha, the man's entire demeanor changes, switching swiftly back to what it was when he entered the store, and my medical books are (thankfully) forgotten. As I'm ringing up his purchase there's a soft tap on the window. I glance over to see Iruka, with Naruto waving happily from his shoulders, smiling brightly at me through the glass. I wave back and motion for them to come inside. As soon as they're through the door, Naruto jumps down and charges towards me, shouting, "Happy Birthday, Emi-chan!" before tackling my legs in a vice-like grip. I hug him back as my odd customer begins fishing for change in his pockets, an amused look on his masked face.

"Thank you, Naruto."

"We're late because Iruka-sensei forgot your present."

"Naruto!" Iruka exclaims, blushing slightly.

"Well, it's true! You were supposed to pick it up yesterday!"

Iruka protests as Naruto begins swaying lightly back and forth on my legs. "You're really going to like it, Emi-chan. I picked it out all by myself!"

I can't help but laugh; Naruto's personality is always such a breath of fresh air. "I'm sure I'll love it."

He releases me and runs back to Iruka, pestering the man to hand over the present. "Naruto, have some patience. Wait until she's finished with her customer."

The ninja hands me his money, but there's something else on top of all the change – a swirled fossil that glimmers softly in the light. "What…?" I begin, but he interrupts. "I found it on my last mission. Everyone else is giving you presents, so…" He shrugs. I try to protest, but he doesn't give me the chance. "You didn't have to let me in just now; you obviously have plans for the evening."

I smile softly. "Well, I've never been the type to ignore a book lover in distress…besides," I say, allowing my smile to turn into a teasing smirk, "if I hadn't let you in, you probably would have broken down the door."

The man laughs lightly, acting slightly embarrassed, "What can I say? It's an obsession…Thank you, again." He bows slightly and leaves.

Suddenly, Naruto is in my face, bouncing up and down. "What'd he give you, Emi-chan? What'd he give you?"

Exasperation in his voice, Iruka replies, "Maybe if you'd calm down, Naruto, she'd show you."

I chuckle as Naruto immediately forces himself to stop bouncing, but continues to eye my new present avidly. I kneel down in the floor beside the small boy and softly place the fossil in his outstretched hand. Shades of red, yellow and green dance across its surface as he turns it slowly in his palm.

"Pretty cool, huh?" I ask him.

Naruto is silent for a moment, concentrating on the shell, then he replies, "I suppose, but it's still not as good as my gift."

I begin to laugh again as Iruka berates him for being rude. In an effort to smooth things over I say, "Every gift I get is very special to me; I'm sure yours is wonderful."

"Well, if Iruka-sensei would let me give it to you, you'd see how great it is!"

"Naruto, I thought we agreed to give Emiko her present AFTER taking her out for ramen."

"But I changed my mind!"

Suddenly, my stomach lets out an enormous growl. We all stare at each other for a split-second and then burst into laughter. "I think my stomach just decided for us, Naruto," I say, still laughing. "How about I open it while we're waiting for our order?"

Naruto looks pouty, but sighs and says, "I guess that's okay…"

"Then it's settled," Iruka replies happily. "Emiko, should we wait for you outside while you finish locking up?"

Nodding, I begin to gather up my new books and place them underneath the desk, safely hidden from anymore prying eyes. "Yeah, just give me a few minutes; I'll be right out."

After the two have left, I manage to shut down quickly. It's a routine I've had memorized for years, but my movements are especially quick tonight. I try to tell myself it's because I'm anxious to have dinner with my friends, but the truth is I'm doing everything I can to forget the fact that, once again, my father has completely forgotten my birthday. Brushing those thoughts away as I step outside, I force myself to focus on the positive - having a fun night out with people I care about.

Several hours later I'm slowly heading home; Iruka offered to walk me, but it was late and Naruto was getting sleepy, so I told him not to worry about it. The stars shine brightly above and I absent-mindedly begin fingering the new pendant Naruto gave me. He was right; it really is amazing – a polished spiral of translucent red stone woven onto a silken cord. The image, a symbol of continual change and rebirth, has always been special to me, and I'm pleasantly surprised that Naruto remembered, though I suspect he may have had a little help from Iruka.

I'm so lost in thought when I reach the house that I almost don't notice the small black bundle on the porch…until it moves. Startled, I take a closer look and am horrified to discover a severely injured kitten lying in a bright puddle of blood. The wounds are so severe that I'm certain moving the poor creature will only make things worse. Knowing I need to act quickly, I immediately begin to focus my chakra, silently thanking Shikaku-sensei for helping me continue my medical studies.

The jutsus I need race through the back of my mind like a mantra as I kneel next to the suffering animal and hover my hands over its tiny body. Time blurs as all my attention focuses on the painfully slow beating of its heart. For a second I think I've lost it; the creature's life force completely vanishes. Heart racing, I search desperately, imagining…willing there to be a spark, a shimmer, anything. Suddenly, there's a tickle in the back of my mind and the kitten's life force flares back even stronger than before; the heartbeat a steady rhythm in the tiny chest. Gathering the unconscious animal gently into my arms, I stand up. An unexpected wave of vertigo washes over me and I have to lean back against the door to steady myself. Granted, it's the first time I've ever applied my skills on a living creature, but I know I shouldn't be feeling so drained after healing just one small animal.

Deciding to speak to Shikaku-sensei as soon as possible, I turn unsteadily to unlock the door, when a voice whispers from much too close, "You did better than I expected."

My arms wrap protectively about my feline patient as I whirl around. Mizuki is standing less than a foot away, an arrogant smirk plastered on his face. Instinctively, I pull the kitten closer to my chest and take a step backwards, banging softly up against the door. "Mizuki! Did YOU do this?!"

"I did it to show you the truth! You're wasting your abilities; surely now you can see that?!" He steps closer, grabbing onto my right arm, our faces only inches apart. "Emiko, you could be so much more than what you are!"

Nervously, I glance back towards the house, looking for any sign that my father might still be awake. "Please keep your voice down."

Mizuki forcefully grabs my chin, jerking my eyes back to his, which are now filled with unmasked rage. "Even after all these years, you are so pathetically weak! Wake up, Emiko! You're father isn't going to get better!"

With each angry word his grip gets tighter. I want to fight him off, but my vision is swimming and it's all I can do to keep my knees from buckling as I hold onto the small, silent bundle in my arms. "Let go of me!"

Suddenly a vaguely familiar voice calls out, "Is there a problem here?" and a masked ANBU appears out of the shadows, making his way quickly towards us. Mizuki releases me with a smirk and vanishes with a single jump, up into the surrounding rooftops. He knows I'll stay quiet…if only to keep my father uninvolved. The ANBU comes closer. "Are you alright?"

His voice is so familiar, but I can't quite place it…

My head is throbbing, my knees are jelly, and the vertigo is so bad that I'm leaning against the door for support, yet somehow I manage to smile and say, "Yeah…nothing a good night's sleep won't fix." I can't see his face, but can tell he's not convinced. Still cradling my new-found charge, I use all of my remaining strength to stand up straight and unlock the door behind me. "Honestly, I'm fine. I really just need some rest."

"Should I file a report against your…friend?"

"Oh…no…it's an old disagreement…something we've never seen eye-to-eye on. Mizuki…he just…well, he's very narrow-minded about some things, that's all." Stepping inside, I smile one more time, "But thank you for your concern. Good night."

He nods slightly in response as I close the door and head upstairs to my room. Somehow, despite being completely drained, I manage to create a make-shift pallet for my new feline friend in one of my dresser drawers before collapsing onto the bed. As sleep takes over, my hazy mind flashes on silvered hair and a single onyx eye; the ANBU's voice…could it have been the strange ninja from earlier? But before I can think about it any further my mind completely shuts down and I fall into a deep and thankfully dreamless sleep.