AN: Hey people. I just wanted to stop and say that I really do appreciate that you fave my story and keep reading it. And to those of you who review, thanks so much. It's nice stuff like that that keeps me writing. Thank you, Mini
Chapter Seven: Words of Hate, Words of Similarity
Naruto woke up the next morning groggy as ever. God. Couldn't the sun go away and let him sleep for once?
A resounding growl echoed from the other side of the room, making him alert and looked over to where the noise had come from.
A string of curses about blinds, 'idiot nuthouse workers,' and sunlight came pouring out of a bundle of sheets that was Shiori, who lifted her head out long enough to growl at the window before going back in to her burrow.
Naruto laughed. Shiori looked like a bear after hibernation, only not as eager to get food.
The raven girl poked her head out in Naruto's direction.
"Shut the fuck up hyena, before your carcass goes to feed your brethren."
Naruto shut his mouth as he heard a growl and saw the beast crawl out of her dark den. The beast shook her head and grabbed a small bag she kept packed for the mornings so she could hurry and get a coffee fix, which not surprisingly to keep their heads the nuthouse workers gave her and her alone every morning. They called it 'a medical need for extra caffeination.' Feh. More medical crap for 'we wish to live.'
Naruto smiled as Neomi, who woke up at the appropriate time and immediately got ready, smiled back at him and sat on his bed.
"Morning Naruto. How are you?" she said cheerfully, swinging her legs back and forth.
"Good and you?"
"Fan-freaking-tastic!"
"It's fan-fucking-tastic..." Shiori mumbled as she walked out.
The two shared a laugh, then Naruto got up and stretched, grabbing his own ready sack and walked towards the male bathroom.
"You don't belong here." a cold voice stirred.
Naruto looked over to see a sinister attendant sitting in a chair, glaring at him with brown eyes of hatred.
"You weren't even suppose to be born. I wish they never found you trying to commit suicide." he growled low, he eyes narrowing more than Naruto's and a snarl taking hold of his face.
Naruto shook his head at the individual and moved to walk into the bathroom. However the man's hand grabbed him by the wrist. Naruto looked down coldly into the eyes filled with venom. A second later, the man holding his wrist had flown across the room, Shiori in a crouch looking at the man through on eye peaking out from the curtain of her sopping, wet, black hair.
"Do NOT talk like that to anyone here ever again, least you want to have your balls in your eye sockets."
The attendant nodded furiously as in a flash she had been holding his throat. She dropped the man and stalked off down a hall that Naruto knew wasn't the way to the cafeteria. He hurriedly got ready and then followed the hall mindlessly after her.
"Looking for Shiori?" a face popped in front of his.
Naruto blinked for a moment then looked down, nodding at the black haired child.
"She just needs a little time to be alone."
"I want to thank her. No one's ever done anything to the people who've said things."
Neomi came up and grabbed his chin before pulling him down to her eye level. She stared into his blue eyes searchingly. Naruto was curious as to why, but still let a fractional mask more down for her.
"You really are just like us..." she murmured.
Naruto blinked. Did that mean they were?
Neomi shook her head like a dog and motioned for the blonde to follow her. Naruto followed to the stairs leading to the roof. They creaked as the two slowly went up them. Neomi stopped though for a second.
"What is it?" Naruto asked, himself getting worried a bit.
"We've...never met anyone like us. I just...don't know how to act around someone new really."
"Really?"
"All of them in there have their own circles. You're the first one whose...actually stuck by us. You're...special." Neomi sighed sitting down on the steps.
"Has no one else tried to make friends with the two of you?"
Neomi shook her head no.
"They only take and then leave to their own groups. I want to hate them for it, but Shiori says we must be kind and giving people. That it normal."
"It's lonely, isn't it? Giving people something they don't deserve and searching for it yourself, but they ignore you. I know how you feel."
Neomi looked to Naruto and nodded, laying her head on his shoulder for a moment. He didn't like people touching him, but he allowed it, after all, they were like him.
"I'm sorry I'm making you uncomfortable."
"It's alright, I'm just not a very touchy feely person."
"It's understandable. Shiori is like that sometimes. Like after the cloudy people attack."
"That was the Akatsuki."
"They've been after us for a while, but they know they can't take Shiori head on, so they try to use me to get her. I hate it. My weakness."
"You're not weak. You're young. There's a difference."
"To me they're one in the same."
Neomi stood up and stretched, Naruto following suit. She smiled, before looking towards the door. He could see her head bow a bit before she started to walk again. The short steps seemed like miles away. But her climbed them all,the two of them stopping behind the door. Neomi sighed and put her hand on the doorknob, before slowly turning it and opening.
