Hi there

Well I haven't been able to update this week because my exams have been taking up all of my free time but luckly they went well and I will hopefully be able to update a little faster.

It surprised Raidou how willing the others were to talk about the actions which had brought them to Konoha. They didn't know each other but they spilled the entire story of their life as though he was a dearly trusted friend.

He could tell that they both felt relieved afterwards, Raidou could understand that, he knew that traumatic experiences could eat you from the inside out.

They didn't hold back, and it really bothered Raidou it was as they expected him to do the same. They expected him to share his deepest and most horrible memories with two children who he didn't even know the faces of. It surprised him to no end how they could be so trusting, so naïve. He would never harm them but they didn't know that. To say Raidou didn't like the two boys would be wrong. At this point he knew them better than he knew himself. It was heart warming how they had confidence in a world they didn't even know yet. Although reality had showed its grim face several times they were so full of hope and faith. Raidou had early on decided to help and protect these two. He was afraid of the people who would be a little too happy to take advantage of them. Especially the youngest one with the gentle voice, he was too keen on pleasing and helping others, even if he felt like shit. But for know it was them who took care of him, he hadn't forgotten he couldn't see. They would assure him that he wasn't a bother, but he found it humiliating to rely on help from someone several years younger than him, especially when it was from the exact same people he had promised himself he would protect.

The water had become cold, but he refused to get up. He didn't trust his limps to support him. He had been too stubborn for his own good. A gentle knock on the bathroom door echoed. "Raidou san is everything all right" Raidou didn't know how to answer, he couldn't bare the embarrassment of being seen like this. Numbly sitting naked in the shower, because he had been to long contemplating whether he should ask for help or not. He heard Iruka enter the room, and shrank in shame. A soft gasp how the hell did he manage to split an eyebrow taking a bath? "Hayate could you please come help me here"

Raidou didn't pay attention to Iruka's scolding, but focussed on the careful fingers cleaning the small wound.

"Why are you so against asking for help, you know you haven't even lost your sight!" Iruka hissed.

It was true, he wasn't really blind. Severe burn marks and an exceptional bad wound under his left eye were hindering his sight, but his eyesight was intact or would be after the wounds healed. He had been extremely grateful when the doctor had told him that it only was temporary.

It didn't take Iruka long to figure it out too. After Iruka recovered from the chock of seeing the bandages, he started to notice it too. An older boy from his village had been in an accident and lost his sight, he quickly showed signs of a deep depression, Raidou wasn't affected enough or so it seemed. Iruka pressed on about the matter and he told them, even though he wouldn't tell how he got injured.

And it clearly wasn't the only injury he had contracted. Small healed wounds covered his back, making his skin look like a cobweb of scars. Iruka found it fascinating, and it was hard to tear his eyes away from the strangely beautiful pattern. What intrigued him the most by it was that these clearly were old wounds, from long before his arrival at Konoha.

Raidou felt the intense stare and shifted uncomfortable in his seat. He suddenly felt very exposed, but pushed the feeling aside and stood upright. The younger boy took the hint and left the other alone.

0o0o0o0

A nagging feeling crept around in the outskirts of his mind. It could perhaps best be described as impatience. Restlessness ate him up. They all felt it. It was taxing on their new found freindship. Iruka had never felt as trapped before. A month ago he had woken up in an unknown bed scared and miserable, he was still miserable but his fear diminished and was stored in the back of his mind. Instead he felt a constant thumping in his legs; it was urging him to do something anything!

The others were getting on Iruka's nerves, but he could do nothing about it.

Raidou was ashamed he had spent so little time thinking of the future. His life had been less than ordinary, but he was used to that. He was but the kids weren't, therefore he should be the responsible one. Well he had failed at that, when the caseworker had showed up at the door he just as surprised as the others. Had he really thought they would leave them alone like this forever?