Sunday dawned early, promising another long day and short night. Sasuke got up early, adrenaline pumping. He was going to find out way to crack the riddle his computer presented. Ignoring the blonde boy still sleeping next to him, Sasuke freshened himself up for a new day. He packed a light bag and then bounded out of his room. Bidding only a quick farewell to his brother, who, as usual, had woken up earlier than him, Sasuke grabbed a slice of toast and hurried off.
After taking the JR and exiting at Nagatacho, it was a short five- minute walk to the National Diet Library, the biggest national library of Japan. Sasuke walked briskly towards the large, four- storey building, paying no heed to the serene rows of greenery lining the perimeter of the library. His attention was on the directory that would bring him to the technology section.
The security raised an eyebrow when he saw the eleven- year- old striding confidently into the building. The Diet Library catered mostly to serious scholars as well as historians, lawyers and government officials. School- age students seldom found their way here since most of the material here was too rigourous. Nonetheless, the boy did not seem lost; on the contrary, he marched straight towards the bank of elevators and soon disappeared into one of them.
Sasuke spent a fruitful morning poring through books on computer science and coding, often heading to the available computers there to do more online research via interest websites and forums.
The clock hands moved gradually from hour to hour and a steady if small stream of people came and went. Sasuke was the only constant fixture in the cavernous room, spiked up hair sticking up as he buried his nose in computer jargon. Many adults took notice of the little munchkin obviously savouring the knowledge and smiled indulgently at him. Sasuke ignored them all.
A pair of eyes scrutinized the boy from behind a shelf. Fingers, scaly with eczema, pushed up round- rimmed glasses. Of average height and appearance and dressed in a navy button- down and jeans, the man was easily missed. Inconspicuous. Which was exactly how he wanted it. The only vanity he allowed was his hair, a silver- gray mane that he tied in a neat tail behind.
Continuing to observe, the lurker read the titles on the stack of books beside Sasuke. Computer science, coding, html. How interesting. The man's lips pulled up in a smile and he selected a book from the shelf.
With a loose- limbed gait, the bespectacled man casually walked past Sasuke and quietly placed the book on his table. Sasuke, who was engrossed in his reading, did not even bother to look up. The stranger simply continued with his pace. Turning the corner, he disappeared out of sight.
Sasuke finished taking down relevant notes from his book and shut it with a satisfied snap. He had not known how fascinating the world of computers could be. The language of programming had looked like gibberish at first but as he ventured deeper, he realized that there was inherent logic inside, logic that, once grasped, could be extended in all directions like staircases leading to different destinations. His own fingers were itching to try out some basic programming but that would have to wait until he got home and could do so on his laptop.
Preparing to tackle another book, Sasuke finally noticed the pale blue textbook lying near his right elbow. He frowned, knowing that he had not selected that book earlier. Somebody must have left it here by accident. Regardless, the title of the book caught his attention. The Fundamentals of Hacking: Applications of Code and Sourcing.
Sasuke glanced around and did not notice anyone who might be searching for this book. Curiosity piqued, he picked it up and looked through the page of contents. Decrypting, encrypting, remote takeover, penetration techniques—they were all foreign concepts but Sasuke began to feel the tendrils of excitement. This book might contain some gems of information that he could use to strip away the layers of clandestineness that his laptop was shrouded in. He might just have found the missing key.
That day marked Sasuke's first foray into the world of cyber science and would come to shape his future.
Weeks passed. Indian summer hit. Naruto adjusted to living with the Uchihas and became unlikely friends with Sasuke. Amidst fierce arguments and completely pointless fistfights, the boys would also eat watermelon slices together on the veranda, spitting seeds and competing to see who could spit the furthest.
In school, days were filled with laughter and camaraderie, with Naruto forming firm friendships with his classmates. His studies were picking up but were by no means his strong suit.
Naruto joined the Aikido club with Sasuke and Kiba and in this aspect, his natural ability shone through. Sparring with his friends was great fun and toned his body. Realising that he loved the martial arts, Naruto began to train hard, spending hours at the school's or the Uchiha's dojo to perfect his offence and defence skills.
The young ex- urchin's gaunt cheeks began filling out, his growing body thriving with a constant source of food and exercise. He cut his hair by himself into an uneven, spiky 'do that Sasuke had laughed at when he first saw it. His mind, too, was healed with the company of his friends and family, for that was what the Uchihas had started to mean to Naruto. Family. Precious bonds that he treasured.
Still, while most aspects of his life were going swimmingly, there were assholes in the world that could not leave well enough alone.
Monday morning rolled about. Naruto sat at his school desk, staring at the ugly scribbles on the tattered pages that used to be his history and mathematics textbooks. He had been careless. Last weekend, Naruto had rushed home to train with Sasuke and had forgotten to bring those books back. Evidently, somebody in school had thought it hilarious to deface his belongings. He should have known better and safeguarded his stuff.
Morosely, Naruto gathered the torn pages up and dumped them into the bin. Just then, a group of boys from the class next to his saw him and sniggered loudly, elbowing one another as they walked past.
"Does he even have enough money to buy new books? Oh, wait, he might steal ours! We'd better warn the others!"
"Yea, someone who used to live on the streets must have done some pretty unthinkable things to survive."
"You mean, stealing might be the least of it? Aren't we all in danger, then? He could be a drug junkie, or worse, a murderer!"
Horsey guffaws, the boys slapping their thighs. Naruto stood stock- still, blood pumping in icy anger. One of the boys spat vindictively at Naruto and the effluvium landed on his shoes. That insult was the last straw. With a snarl, Naruto charged towards the boys, fist raised to punch—
Before he could land a blow, a calm presence grabbed hold of his arm and forced him to stop. Naruto whirled around, his mouth opened in a snarl. "Let me go! I have to—"
"You don't have to hit them, Naruto." Shikamaru forced Naruto to face him, his grip still firm on his biceps. "You are on our scholarship, aren't you? Starting a brawl right in front of the school body and teachers would only give you a black mark."
"I don't care! They don't know shit and yet they can say such things!"
"If you start the fight now, even the Uchiha name would not be sufficient to cover your ass. Think about Sasuke's and his brother's position." Shikamaru's mouth was set in a firm line. His friends all knew that he was currently the ward of the Uchihas.
Naruto tried struggling against his friend's impeccable calm and logic but eventually gave up. The boys had also disappeared into their classroom, anyway. It would be really bad if he were to stomp in and smash their faces in. Though they would have deserved it. "…Fine. I won't hit them, all right? You can let go, now."
Shikamaru nodded and stepped back. Studying Naruto for a moment more and noting that his belligerence had subsided, he gestured to their desks with a tilt of his head. "I'll lend you my textbooks first. I'd probably be sleeping through the classes later, anyway."
"Thanks, buddy," Naruto said with feeling. The two boys reentered the classroom. Thankfully, most of their classmates were not in and girls had mobbed Sasuke at his locker, so there had not been others who had witnessed the brouhaha earlier. Shikamaru threw Naruto his books before proceeding to take his nap.
Soon, other students streamed in and took their respective seats. Unlike most people in school, Naruto's classmates were generally nice and friendly, although the girls tended to ignore him. At least there weren't any bastards to deal with in class, save maybe Sasuke. He was a bastard, all right, but his brand of bastard Naruto could handle and never failed to make a jab at every single day. Even Sasuke was not so…judgmental and discriminatory.
To be sure, Sasuke made fun of him but he had never put Naruto down for a background that he had been unable to control. In fact, the Uchiha studied with him and made sure that Naruto understood the concepts that had been taught in class. He had never jeered at Naruto for not having formal education, or laughed when Naruto had shown him the meager but prized possessions that his real parents had left behind for him. All he had said was "Use the shelves to display them, then, idiot."
Naruto knew that being penniless and homeless wasn't glamourous, but he had not sunk so low as to steal, unless forced by the threat of starvation. Drugs were a no- go, especially after witnessing the junkies shivering like blood- deprived vampires, lurking at street corners for their dealer to give them their next hit. And murder…Naruto's eyes darkened perceptibly. His foster father had done it. Not Naruto. He would never kill another person. Ever.
Sasuke entered the classroom just as the bell rang. Ignoring the ditzy group of female classmates that tittered behind him, he caught Naruto's eye and nodded in greeting. When the blonde merely grimaced back, the Uchiha frowned. Something was up with the dobe. However, Iruka sensei entered just then and the class settled down for the first lesson.
During the short break between lessons, Sasuke walked over to Naruto's seat and glanced down at the textbook that he was using, noting the name scribbled on it. "What happened to your own textbook? Don't tell me that you forgot to bring them."
"Of course not! I'd have remembered, asshole. Besides, I'm not the one who woke up late today and had to rush out," Naruto smirked, throwing a not- so- subtle glance at Sasuke's hair, which was even more spiked up at usual at the back and now vaguely resembled a duck's butt. "You look kinda like yourself today. Like an ass, y'know?"
"And who was the one snoring so loudly that I couldn't sleep?" Hand moving instinctively, Sasuke only belatedly aborted his move to smooth his hair when Naruto snickered. The Uchiha gave a dignified sniff and put down his hand. "Anyway, don't tell me that you need to buy new textbooks, again. The Uchihas might be rich but most of our fortune is locked up in unit trusts and stocks. I'm not lending you my allowance even if you kneel and beg."
"Like hell I would!" Naruto bristled. Sasuke merely arched an eyebrow at him, his arms folded as he waited for Naruto to explain the lack of textbooks. "It's not as if it was my fault, anyway…"
"What do you mean." Sasuke saw Naruto glancing towards the bin and immediately stalked towards it. He was well aware of the bullying incidents, given that he had kicked Tenma and gang's asses at the start of the school term after they had rounded on Naruto. Other small, seemingly insignificant cases had occurred. Snickers when Naruto walked past other students, cold and disparaging glances thrown his way. Sasuke had never thought much of his schoolmates but the clear prejudice that they displayed towards Naruto was nauseating.
In the bin, Sasuke saw clearly the remains of what had been Naruto's books. When he returned, his chiseled jaw was clenched. "Do you know who did it?"
Naruto shook his head. Different people had targeted him so far, not just Tenma, not just those assholes in the next class. "Looks like I'm kinda popular, huh?"
Sasuke caught the tone of hurt in his voice and his eyes narrowed. "What the hell, Naruto. Report this to the goddamn principal, already. Or at least Iruka."
"As if that'd help. Iruka sensei kinda knows about it and he did talk to me about it. A little." Their kind form teacher had promised to look out for the bullies but both of them had known just how insidious the culprits could be. Naruto shrugged. "Besides, I'm on scholarship. Shikamaru just reminded me that fighting would only cause trouble for myself."
Sasuke fell silent at this. Even he was not vain enough to assume that the Uchiha's name was so omnipotent that the principal and the school board would bow to it. Especially not if other prestigious families ganged up on Naruto. The Uchiha studied the blonde's slumped shoulders and he puffed out a sigh. "It's not the end of the world, dobe. Buy a new set of books and make damn sure that they are with you all the time, or at least locked up."
Naruto turned and glared at Sasuke, though it lacked heat. Agitatedly, the blonde picked up his books and got out from his seat. Pushing past Sasuke, he headed towards the door.
Sasuke glared futilely at his friend's back. Tch. The idiot was probably too proud to ask Itachi for the textbook money, much less Sasuke. Thus, he would probably dip into his savings, which was probably meager as hell. Stupid idiot. Being nice when the whole student body was being an asshole was just asking for it. Sasuke stalked back to his desk and picked up his notes, inexplicably annoyed.
Monday, 3:00pm. Uchiha Estate
Two books landed on the table in front of Naruto as he tried to study for an upcoming test, their corners nearly shaving off the tip of his nose. Shocked, he glanced up angrily at the thrower, who, surprise, surprise, turned out to be Sasuke. "What the heck, Sasuke? Normal people would have passed the books nicely. Would it have killed you to walk two steps from the door to me?!"
"As a matter of fact, yes," Sasuke folded his arms as he stood at the doorway to Naruto's bedroom. The boys had just arrived home from school. "You should be thanking me, ingrate."
"For what?" Peeved, Naruto nonetheless looked down at the books that the other boy had thrown towards him. It was Sasuke's history and mathematics textbooks. The Uchiha had printed his name neatly on the top right- hand corner of the books and Naruto knew that when he opened them, notes would be written in the margins in Sasuke's impeccable handwriting. "What, so now you have decided that you don't need the textbooks anymore?"
"Hn. As if I had ever needed them," Sasuke drawled arrogantly.
Naruto snorted, though he knew it to be the truth. Somehow, even without tuition or remedial classes, the Uchiha always seemed to comprehend the lessons straight away. It was galling, to say the least. They were rivals, after all. "Then, what? You want me to safe- keep them for you?"
"Those are for you, usuratonkachi. Nii- san's still got his textbooks. Since the books' editions have not changed, I figured you'd need my notes more than me," Sasuke smirked at the outraged sputter from Naruto. "Whatever. Keep them, throw them—do what you like. I'm going to practise Aikido, now."
Left alone in the room, Naruto slowly shook his head. How Sasuke managed to be nice and exasperating at the same time, he would never know. As he began reading the textbook, the warmth in his chest put a big smile on his face.
"Yesterday, the canteen of a primary school in the ward of Adachi went up in flames at eleven- thirty in the morning. Twenty- five children were trapped in but were subsequently rescued. There are no casualties. Police have labeled this incident as unnatural and are investigating.
It is believed that a serial arsonist is at large, deliberately setting fire to buildings. The school in Adachi is the fifth such incident in a year. The government has advised all schools and households to take extra precaution in terms of fire prevention…"
The news played in the background as the Uchihas and Naruto settled down for breakfast. The boys paid little attention to it but Itachi's brow furrowed in concern. If schools were the target for the arsonist, it meant that Shinjuku Private Academy would also be on the list. As the boys finished their breakfast and prepared to go to school, Itachi said, "Be careful at school. Look out for suspicious characters. There's currently an arsonist at large who is setting fire to schools."
The boys nodded distractedly, clearly not very concerned about the news. Itachi heaved a small sigh but waved goodbye to them, anyway. Tokyo was large with twenty-six different wards. The arsonist might be caught even before he turned his crosshairs onto Shinjuku.
Physical education was the first lesson of the day. The cohort had been split in half, with one doing gymnastics in the hall and the other at the courts for basketball. Naruto's class was in the hall. The teacher had set up fifteen different stations, ranging from stretching to vault- jumping.
Sasuke breezed through each station as though he were a born gymnast. Naruto regarded him jealously as Sasuke lined up in front of him and prepared to do the vault jump. "Teme, don't land on your butt."
"Hah, as if." Sasuke turned back and smirked at Naruto. Taking a running jump, the boy leapt lithely over the obstacle and landed perfectly on his feet.
Naruto looked at the hordes of adoring girls standing by the side. He would show them that he was better than Sasuke! Taking a deep breath, Naruto dashed forwards…and ran gob smack into the obstacle.
"Stupid! What a joke!"
"Idiot, idiot, idiot, idiot…"
Naruto got back on his feet, face red. Trying his best to ignore the jeers, he went back to the starting point and tried again. It was slightly better this time round and Naruto managed to jump over the obstacle, although he landed messily.
Shadows fell over him on the mat. Still burning with embarrassment, Naruto looked up and saw that it was the group of boys from the next class. They were looking at him with a mixture of disgust and contempt. "You really don't belong here, beggar. You are such an eyesore."
Surrounded by them, Naruto slowly stood up, not wanting to appear cowered. "I don't care what you think, bastards. I'm here to study, unlike you." Patting the dust off his clothes, Naruto tried to push past them. A shove to his shoulders had him staggering backwards. "Hey—!"
"You have no right to look down on us, hobo," the leader of the group snarled. The group looked around and saw that the teacher had disappeared somewhere. Satisfied that nobody would stop them now, the boys surrounded Naruto. "Leave our school!" On that note, the leader kicked Naruto on the shins.
It was the signal for the fight to start. Soon, the other boys were hitting and kicking Naruto, reveling in their superiority. Naruto fought back fiercely, his fists giving as good as he got, his Aikido training serving him well at this juncture.
"Dobe, why do you always get into such trouble?"
A resigned tone sounded in his ear. Naruto turned and grinned when he saw who had materialized beside him and was now fending off the others. Sasuke glared at Naruto before expertly twisting the arm of an attacker. The yelp of pain from the young master was high- pitched and pathetic- sounding.
Shikamaru, Chouji, Kiba and Shino had also joined the fray. Naruto looked around at his friends and the dull shame thudding in his heart lessened. With a yell, he jumped and kicked the leader in the stomach. "Take that, bastard!"
Everyone was so involved in the altercation that the acrid smell of smoke was at first undetected. Naruto and his friends soon finished up with the bullies. Standing in front of the huddled group of boys who now spotted bruises and cut lips, Naruto said in a voice of steel, "I may not be as rich as any of you but at least I have friends who fight alongside me. Don't think that your stinkin' money is gonna intimidate me!"
Suddenly, screams rent the air. The girls standing closest to the exits pointed outside with looks of terror on their faces. "Fire!"
The boys whipped around, finally noticing the columns of dark smoke that billowed in. Fiery flames licked the outside walls of the hall and spread with alarming speed. Windows expanded and then shattered into smithereens. Shards fell upon some girls, who screamed as the sharp edges sliced their flesh.
"What the hell is going on?!"
As panic swept through the cohort, students began stampeding towards the doors, only to be jammed there as the doorknobs were now too hot to touch with bare hands. People began banging at the doors, hoping to catch the attention of teachers outside.
The bullies scrambled to their feet and rushed to the exits, eager to be the first to escape. Naruto and his friends did not follow, seeing the futility of squeezing at the doors. Instead, they scanned the hall rapidly, trying to discern if there was another exit where fire had not sealed closed.
Sasuke and Naruto spotted the backdoor at the same time.
"Guys, that way!" Naruto hollered. However, his voice was drowned out by shouts of panic. Pushing his friends towards the backdoor, he ran towards the other students and began pulling them individually from the main exits. "Calm down! There's another exit at the back! Go out from there!"
Heedless of the simmering heat and choking smoke, Naruto broke through the crowd, shoving his schoolmates in the direction of safety. Everyone was moving agonizingly slowly in the confusion and chaos. Naruto took in a deep breath to shout but found himself hacking as smoke seared his lungs. Fuck. Why was there fire? Vaguely, he recalled the broadcast that he had heard earlier. The arsonist!
More windows exploded and splinters of transparent glass rained down on them. Naruto barely felt the cuts as he tried to herd people towards the back of the hall. Sweat trickled down his head and back as he got nearer and nearer to the doors.
"The back! Go to the back!" Blinded, Naruto nearly tripped over a solid mass on the ground. Through the mass of legs, he realized that it was the leader of the bullies. The boy was coughing terribly, his face turning slightly purple as he tried and failed to breathe. Yelling at the others to move away, he knelt down and dragged the bully up. "Come on, move!"
"Can't…breathe. Asthma…" The boy seized up, his eyes blown wide in fright. His mouth gaped incessantly but Naruto could tell that no air was entering his lungs. Without hesitation, Naruto hefted him on his back. Shit. The smoke was the issue here. If the boy continued to breathe in the noxious air, things would really go awry. Bending as low as he was able, Naruto half staggered, half ran towards the back door.
The fresh air outside was sweet relief. However, Naruto did not stop running. He needed open space. Spotting the car park up ahead, the blonde hurried there and lay the near- unconscious boy on the ground. "Where's your inhaler? Is it in your pockets?" When the boy merely nodded weakly, Naruto stuck his hand into the boy's pockets until he found it. Within seconds, the bully was sucking in the medicine, his breathing becoming less labored.
Sirens were heard. Naruto looked up and saw a bright red fire engine and an ambulance trundling towards them. Both vehicles pulled to a stop and five firefighters jumped out from the truck. Hoses were paid out, one attached to a foam cartridge in the truck, another to a hydrant. As more students streamed out of the hall, the firefighters directed the hoses towards the fire and began to put it out.
"Naruto!"
Sasuke's shout could be heard even through the cacophony of sobs and shouts. Naruto turned and saw his friend headed towards him, his face looking paler than usual. "Sasuke, over here!"
"Idiot! All of us were looking for you! The heck were you thinking, running towards the fire?" Sasuke could have punched Naruto, he was so angry. Instead, he settled for gripping the boy's shirt, jerking him forwards so that he could check on him. "Fuck, Naruto. Your face—!"
"What about my fac—oww! Stop, that hurts!" Sasuke's prodding was gentle but it stung nonetheless. It was then that Naruto realized that he also had cuts on his arms and legs and rivulets of red were flowing from them. Sasuke was still gripping his shirt and Naruto yelped in surprise when the boy began tugging him towards the ambulance. "Hey, I'm alright! It's that bastard over there that needs help!"
"Let the paramedics take care of him," Sasuke retorted, his lack of sympathy towards the bully apparent.
"Just let me make sure that's he's fine first, okay?" Naruto's eyes were clouded with worry.
Sasuke sighed and then nodded. He should have known by now that the Uzumaki would not be able to simply stand by and not help.
The blonde jogged back to the person that he had rescued and noticed with relief that an oxygen mask had been placed over his mouth and he seemed to be breathing properly. "Hey, misters, this bastard here has asthma and took in a lot of smoke just now. He probably has other injuries from the glass shards as well. Could you take care of those?"
Once that was settled, the boys hurried towards Iruka sensei. "Attention to all the students who were trapped in the hall just now! The school is chartering some buses to bring all of you to the hospital! Please queue up here, in front of me!"
Their school made the headlines that day. Concerned parents of the school had called in to the media and exerted pressure using their social and political clout. The search was on for the mysterious arsonist who had managed to set off an electrical fire outside of their school hall.
Naruto had sustained six cuts to his face, three on each side of his cheeks. Requiring small stitches, the doctor had warned that they would scar. Naruto had shrugged, glad that nothing worse had happened.
When school was reopened two days later, everybody was talking about the fire. Their school hall was charred mostly on one side and the walls and doors would have to be refurbished. However, the students were all right and the principal gave a rousing if verbose speech about fire safety and the search about the arsonist.
As Naruto stepped into the canteen with his friends during lunch break, there was an immediate drop in volume. Schoolmates who had never shown an interest in him turned to stare as he walked by. Their gazes were not warm in any sense but they lacked their earlier venom.
The biggest change came when Yamanaka Ino, the school's reigning cheerleader and head of Sasuke's fan club, swanned forward with her legion of cheerleaders and congratulated Naruto loudly for saving the cohort from the fire. When she sashayed off minutes later in a cloud of sleek blonde hair and perfume, the entire cafeteria was abuzz with talk.
"Now that's just plain…weird," Naruto muttered, his face turning as fiery as his jumper. Kiba snickered something about him being unused to girls and he turned even redder. The gang continued walking down the aisle towards an empty table and Naruto tried to ignore the curious stares that followed them.
While he was tucking into a steaming bowl of ramen, somebody cleared his throat beside him. Annoyed by the disruption, Naruto glanced up irritably. To his surprise, it was the group of boys who had tried to lord it over him during gym. He noticed that the leader was looking much better, with nary a sign of breathing problems. "It's you."
The leader shifted his weight, seeming about to roll his eyes but refraining from it in the end. Clearing his throat once more, the boy fiddled with his expensive uniform collar and finally said, "…Thanks."
Naruto nearly choked on his ramen and he quickly set down his chopsticks. "Wha—?"
"I said, thanks! For doing…whatever you did that day. And, uhh, sorry." The words were practically strangled from the bully and his plump cheeks flushed dully. Without waiting for Naruto to respond, he turned abruptly and stalked away. His gaggle of followers tailed him obediently with some throwing confused looks at Naruto before hurrying to catch up with their leader.
Everyone at the table blinked at one another for a few seconds. Then, Kiba clapped Naruto heartily on the shoulder and guffawed loudly. "Man, that's the most awkward apology I've ever heard!"
Well, hell. Snow must be falling in the desert. Still stupefied, Naruto made a mental note to stay clear of that bully just in case he was only suffering from temporary oxygen deprivation.
Despite his misgivings, the bully whom Naruto had rescued from the fire was not down with a head ailment. Rather, he seemed perfectly sincere in his gratitude and had apparently done something to convince other students not to disturb Naruto anymore, for school became a much better place to hang out at. Naruto's belongings were no longer vandalized and people no longer tried to trip him up along the hallways. There were still stares and some people still turned up their noses at him but on the whole, Naruto was no longer treated like vermin that had to be scraped off from the rich boys' soles.
One late afternoon after school, Naruto slung his bag hastily on his shoulder and bade farewell to his friends. There was no Aikido practice that day so he had decided to drop in on his old friends, Teuichi—jiji and Ayame at Ichiraku's. Who knows, he might be able to wrangle a free bowl of ramen if he turned on his charms. Reaching the gate, he spotted Sasuke coming from the direction of the dojo. The Uchiha had evidently gone for a round of self- practice. "Sasuke! Let's go for ramen!" Ramen!"
Even from afar, the scowl on Sasuke's face was apparent. The Uchiha rolled his eyes at Naruto, getting ready to ignore him. However, Naruto simply grabbed hold of his arm and started dragging him out of school. "Come on! You've still got the voucher I gave you, right?"
"Ramen?"
A new voice had piped up from behind Naruto. The blonde turned and saw that it belonged to the rich prick whom he had saved from the fire previously. With flaming- red hair and fierce, fox- like eyes, the bully was infamous in school for his rich family fortune and even richer temper. Still, for his life, Naruto could not recall his name. "Uh…"
The bully's crimson eyes widened, then narrowed, as though he could not believe that Naruto was unaware of his name. With the blonde still staring at him askance, though, he finally offered his name, sharp canine teeth appearing briefly as he spoke. "Konoha Kurama, stupid. Naruto, right?"
"Ah! Kurama! So you are the one in the school rumours! Man, I heard that you destroyed the chemistry lab once 'cos you were pissed at the teacher or something!" Naruto chortled heartily, completely unaware of Kurama's simmering glare. "Me and Sasuke were just planning to go eat ramen—join us!" As he noticed the rest of Kurama's gang looming behind, he extended his invitation. "Come on, let's all go together! The more the merrier!"
Eight other pairs of eyes focused on Naruto with some belligerence. Finally, the stoutest of the group, some guy whose family was apparently famous for octopus rearing, spoke up.
"Start with the pork and then the fire
If you're fully blazed then this shit'll get you higher
Thirty-five cents a bowl, three for a dollar
Unbelievable pricing that's the future of a blue- collar worker
And I'm talkin' bout ramen
Beef chicken corn and shrimp creamy powder pork oriental
Vegetable, garlic, beishoga, seaweed
Butter, egg, sprout, maki and—
Memma~"
Kumogakure Gyuki finished off his rap with a Mos Def wave, nary a strand falling from his slicked hair that was parted in the center.
Kurama rolled his eyes and the rest of his gang suppressed shudders. Sasuke looked like he wanted to plead off the ramen outing. Naruto, however, clapped Gyuki on the shoulder, awed. "Man, you can rap! And about ramen! Wait till Teuchi-jiji hears it! He'll be so stoked!"
"Yo mama's gonna love it, yo," Gyuki nodded solemnly, his tinted glasses wrapped tightly around his eyes like goggles. He did a bump fist with Naruto, who returned it with relish.
"Naruto…" Sasuke's incredulity was sky- high by now, though it was apparent only by the tic in his brow. The Uchiha made to walk away but was immediately ensnared by the blonde.
"Come on, Sasuke! It'll be fun! Promise!"
Sasuke glanced at the pleading blonde, whose cobalt eyes were practically sizzling in earnest invitation. Gods. Did Naruto even realize that he had basically invited the people who had tried their hardest to make his life a living hell?
One look at the bright grin on Naruto's face and he knew the answer. Sasuke sighed. There was something seriously wrong with this idiot. Perhaps his skull was too thick for concepts like self- preservation to seep through. Someone else would have to look out for him. And it looked like there was no other candidate.
Cursing the day his brother had brought home this human- shaped bag of trouble, Sasuke blew out his breath and gestured bad- temperedly towards the exit. "Lead the way, then."
In the end, the unlikely group of eleven headed off to Shinjuku central and crowded into the tiny Ichiraku store. Teuichi and his daughter served the rowdy boys their ramen, giving Sasuke and Naruto large portions for free.
Naruto got to know the names of Kurama's gang—Shukaku, Matatabi, Isobu, Son, Kokuo, Saiken, Chomei and Gyuki. All nine had been friends since elementary school and their parents were all members of an association that involved animal research. Upon hearing that, Naruto thought that maybe it explained why all of them seemed a little animalistic, feral. Or perhaps he was just projecting his imagination unto them.
Sasuke had broached the prickly subject of bullying first. While Naruto became flustered and insisted that apologies were not needed, Sasuke had simply sat there, unmoved, dark eyes glittering with protectiveness.
"Our bad."
Gyuki had been the first to say it and raised his fist towards Naruto once more. After hesitating slightly, Naruto had returned the gesture.
"…Guess I owe you one. For the fire," Kurama had mumbled, clearly discomfited. He had then promptly ordered four more bowls of pork chasu ramen, two each for Sasuke and Naruto. In Naruto's eyes, he had been forgiven immediately. Sasuke, though, had had more to say.
"Don't you dare look down on Naruto again, ever."
Kurama had looked shocked by Sasuke's vehemence. Nobody had spoken so commandingly to him before; nobody had dared to. His father was one of the largest suppliers of fox furs and to a lesser- known degree, artillery power, in the world. Yearly donations to the school numbered in the millions and nobody had ever dared crossed him. Or rescued him. These two schoolmates in front of him had just done the unthinkable, though. And Kurama found that he appreciated it. Respected it, even. It had been too long and too boring, the days when people cowered and shook in front of him.
Sneering, Kurama had given his promise. And that had been that.
After ramen, the group headed off to the nearest arcade to play together. Naruto and Sasuke had gained a silent camaraderie with the hours of video gaming they had clocked in on Sasuke's new computer and both boys ruled the shooting games at the arcade. Kurama joined them in a fourth round of Time Crisis 5 and the trio annihilated the bosses to break the national record.
By the time the day drew to an end, Naruto's wallet had become considerably lighter. He had also become fast friends with his ex- bullies.
"See you at school tomorrow, guys!" Naruto waved enthusiastically before leaving with Sasuke. The car would be coming to fetch them.
Upon reaching the main street, Naruto noticed a teahouse situated rather incongruously at the end of a host bar street. He stopped at the shop front, causing Sasuke to frown at him. Should he buy some dango back for Itachi? The tri- coloured dumplings seemed to be his favourite. Deciding to do so, Naruto entered the small shop. A glimpse of gray hair caught Naruto's attention.
"Ero-jiji!"
The hulk of a man with silvery, shaggy hair looked up at his enthusiastic shout. Turning away from his companion, he waved at Naruto. His tanned face creased into a warm smile as he said, "Naruto! How've you been? Ah, I heard that Itachi- kun here has brought you into his home."
"Itachi-Nii?"
Naruto glanced at the man sitting opposite Jiraiya. True enough, his benefactor turned to regard him, a small smile curving his lips. Immediately, Naruto grabbed Sasuke and pulled him into the shop.
"Can we join you?"
Itachi's eyes slid from the effervescent blonde to his younger brother, who was clearly burning with curiosity about Itachi's appearance at Shinjuku but was trying to act nonchalant about it. He picked up two sticks of tri- coloured dango and passed them to the younger boys. "I have some things to discuss with Jiraiya- san here but we should be done soon."
"Yea, brat. We'll catch up over a bowl of ramen during the weekend. I want to know how you've been," Jiraiya concurred. Just then, he noted the new scars on Naruto's face and frowned. Immediately, his friendly-uncle persona faded. A commandeering aura exuded out as the Sennin pinned Itachi with a hard gaze. "What happened to him."
"My brother would never do anything to harm another person." Sasuke slid closer to Itachi's side, his gaze fiercely defensive. It never wavered even when Jiraiya turned to regard him gravely.
"You've got it all wrong, jiji! There was a fire at our school and some shattered glass cut my face is all! The Uchihas have been treating me real well! Don't go around accusing them, okay!" Naruto stood with arms akimbo, exasperated.
Jiraiya relaxed, though his arms were still folded. It was true; he had read about the fire on the news recently. Besides, Naruto seemed in excellent spirits and he no longer looked like the malnourished, uncared for boy whom Jiraiya had taken under his wing. There seemed to be no problem with the adoption, then.
The Chief Inspector for the Division of Organised Crime and Terrorism in the Japanese Police Force finally unfolded his arms. Suddenly, he was the jolly, fun- loving uncle again as he drained his tea and called for another order of dango. When it arrived, he set it in front of Itachi and Sasuke. "Sorry about that just now. Naruto has been like a son to me, you see. I just wanted to make sure that everything's all right."
Itachi took the skewer of mochi that was offered to him. Sasuke followed him and did the same. A tilt of the older Uchiha's head and the two boys understood immediately. Naruto and Sasuke padded out of the store, though not without curious glances thrown back towards the men.
Calmly, Itachi pulled one glutinous ball off the stick and began to chew it. He had half- expected to bump into Sasuke and Naruto since he knew that the boys were hanging out at Shinjuku. They were not the reason why Itachi was there, though. Jiraiya had contacted Itachi voluntarily, after knowing that the Uchihas had taken Naruto in. The man had set their rendezvous at Shinjuku, which was serendipity.
"They are not involved in anything." Itachi put down the empty bamboo skewer on its plate, his intelligent, dark eyes unwavering. He knew that Jiraiya knew of his position, as well as his association with the police force. Just how much Itachi was involved, though, was privy only to Danzou.
"I know. The boys are far too young, anyway. Besides, I can see that Naruto has blossomed under your care. You have my gratitude for that." Jiraiya raised his teacup, waiting until Itachi acknowledged the salute with his own. "Now, what I'm interested in is your part in all of…this, Itachi- kun."
"I'm merely providing the same services as my Father had done with the Uchiha connections."
"Mhmm, is that so. Then, you must be rather more resourceful than even your father. We recently managed to foil a serious terrorist attack in Germany. The German authorities are applauding our vast and extensive knowledge of the world." Jiraiya's words were light, belying the intense suspicions that had laced the Germans' compliments.
"Better praises from them than condolences from us," Itachi murmured.
"Why Danzou? Why don't you work directly for the Mayor, Sarutobi Hiruzen?" Jiraiya's voice had sharpened. He knew for a fact that Fugaku's genius first son had been meeting up with Danzou. When he had asked Hiruzen about it, though, the old geezer had merely said that he was on top of it. On top of what, seriously. Sometimes, Jiraiya felt that Sarutobi was too forgiving. Something about Danzou had never sat right with him but he had always been Hiruzen's right- hand man, the shadow Police Commissioner. Even Fugaku had had to give way to him at times and he had been the Assistant Mayor.
If Itachi noticed Jiraiya's lack of honourifics for his own superior, he did not show it. "In the end, it is Japan and its safety that I serve. It matters not who I report to."
Jiraiya stared hard at the Uchiha brat seated opposite him. Itachi merely held his gaze calmly, feathers completely unruffled, the mystery that he presented unsolved. Darn it. He had always sucked at handling Uchihas. Uchiha Fugaku had been as reticent, his legendary intellect and tactical genius apparent only in his unbroken stint as Assistant Mayor for ten years. Indeed, silence was golden.
Knowing that he would not get another morsel of information out of Itachi unless the boy chose to relinquish it, Jiraiya stood up with a flourish, picking up the tab as he did so. "Keep in touch, Itachi. One depends on friends when outside, after all." As he walked past, he clapped Itachi on the shoulder, his hand almost comically large against the other's slight build.
"Just so you know, I'm on our country's side, too."
