~ Authors Note ~
Chapter Ten: The Legendary Hero of Konoha
So, I scrapped the original version of this chapter because I hated it. I mean I liked what I was trying to do, but it just didn't end up the way I wanted it too. It was a bit too drama driven or something. Yeah, but if you all want to see the original, I have the copy of it and can post it at the end of the series like a deleted scenes type thing... Anyways, hopefully round two will be better. Be sure to comment below and fav if you like it.
We weaved through the soaked streets of Konoha, with so many twists and turns that my brain was scrambled and plagued by confusion. Even if the sun was shinning, I'd still be just as lost as I am right now. Getting back to the Compound isn't going to be an easy task, especially considering that I have no idea where in the village I am at the moment.
Before I have a chance to wallow in my thoughts, the tugging on my arm ceases.
Glancing up from the muddy path, I see that we've stopped at a staircase leading up to a crummy apartment complex that looks like its seen better days. The stranger tugs again when he heads up the stairs and only releases my arm when he's unlocking the door to his apartment I assume. The real question is why would someone as supposedly nice as this guy live in such a scum bucket place?
He fiddled with the lock for a couple minutes as I resists a sigh. By the time he gets that door open, I could have had at least three flashback in the time it took if this was an anime. He rubs the back of his neck awkwardly and laughs. Not that I blame him, it's pretty embarrassing to have trouble getting into your own apartment. Especially if you have a witness to the embarrassment.
He steps into his apartment, flipping a light switch as he goes. Dull yellow lights the apartment, splaying out across the floor of the deck where I stand. Uneasiness filters through me now. It's not so much that I have a bad feeling about this guy, I don't, my instincts are perfectly calm, but my logical sense is firing on all cylinders. Berating me for letting things get this far and for getting myself into a potentially dangerous situation.
Reluctantly, I take a couple of steps forward, still not sure if I want to enter some strange man's house.
Before I have time to consider the pros and cons of staying out in the storm, the stranger reaches out and gently tugs me through the doorway and into a narrow hallway. The door shuts behind me and I take a minute to take in my surroundings as I follow behind the man. On the wall to my right is a door, a closet or the bathroom.
He leads me into a wider area where a small kitchen-like space was. A small stove and refrigerator pushed off to one wall. There was a miniature table between the makeshift kitchen and the rest of the room which doubled as a bedroom. Small doesn't even begin to describe this place, it's teeny tiny. Old and ugly with green walls like someone took an avocado and decided to use the guts of it to paint the walls. The paint was so old that it was chipping and revealed the white paint beneath it. The air is stale, like the apartment is over a thousand years old.
Against the wall straight across from the front door is a messy, unmade bed. Two windows just barely away from the foot of it. An orange blanket is draped haphazardly on the bed, ready to slip off onto the floor at the slightest vibration. Over the bed was the symbol of Konoha with various drawings beneath it. Beside that, on the wall by the windows where the bed was pressed up against, was a picture of a cup of ramen I guess.
Geez, what sensible person would actually have that as a decoration piece? It certainly doesn't add anything good to this place.
Feeling kind of bad for judging, I break the awkward tension by turning around to face the man, flash a smile that usually convinces Mom that I'm not up to anything, realizing that he won't be able to see it, and laugh. "Nice place."
Opening my eyes a little wider, I really can see his face now. It was hard to see his features in the dark, but under the bright lights, I can really see him now. Crazy blond hair, dark blue eyes, and familiar markings on his cheeks. Three lines on each cheek and I can't seem to place them, but I know I've seen them before.
Honestly, I'm going to feel like such an idiot when I figure it out.
The guy suddenly snapped out of whatever trance he was in when he glanced down at the hardwood floor below me. "Kid, you need to get out of those wet clothes, they're dripping water all over the floor."
I didn't notice earlier, but as I look down I see the puddle of water around my feet from my clothes.
Whoever-he-is moved further into the room and started digging through a drawer that I didn't even realize was in here. He was mumbling to himself. "Where, where, where is it... I know it's in here somewhere. Aha!"
He straightens up, holding what I assume is blue pajamas in his arms. "I don't have too many clothes from when I was your age, but I think these should fit."
Suddenly he tosses the pants and shirt at me before opening another drawer and pulls out a plain white towel ushers me towards the other door I saw earlier. "You must be freezing by now, so you go take a shower and change into those and I'll get something so we don't starve."
I blink twice. "Why are you doing this?"
While it wasn't an intended question, I just blurted it out like that. Though I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't wondering that since he brought me here? Why would some stranger invite some kid that he's never met back to his house for a shower and clothes to change into while said owner of the place goes to get food? Normally that would dictate predator, but nothing about this guy worries me.
He paused at that as we reached the door. "Well... because I know what it's like to not have anyone worried. Besides, your mother whose-name-you-haven't-mentioned, wouldn't be happy if you got sick. Plus I'm always up for some company, even if it has to be you."
Glaring at him beneath the hood, I growl, "The hell's that supposed to mean?"
With an uncaring expression and the wave of his wrist he replied. "Nothing, now move it."
Opening the door to what I now know is a bathroom, he motions to the handle on the bathtub. "Just turn that to the right to get hot water. You can use whatever is in there, I'll be back soon."
As soon as he stepped out, I immediately rush to the door and lock it. It doesn't matter how oddly comfortable I feel with this guy, he's still a grown man and I'm, as much as I hate to admit this and would deny it if asked, a child. He's a total stranger and I'm completely alone in his apartment. I feel like I should be a bit more concerned and since I'm not, that's worrying me.
Leaning back against the closed door, I start to shiver.
My clothes are soaked through, my shoes are dripping with water, and my entire body is trembling. Maybe a shower wouldn't be such a bad idea after all. Besides, he's said he'd be gone anyways and plus the door's locked. Pushing my uncertainty down, I get out of my wet clothes and unwrap the scarf around my head.
Turning on the water, I climb in.
The heat and steam soothes my chilled limbs. The steams soothes my nerves, putting my troubled thoughts at ease. After a minute passes, I'm confident that there's nothing to worry about. I go through the motions I do at home, washing my hair is the most important. Dealing with my hair is a pain, it's always wild and not easy to handle.
After cleaning my body, I turn off the water and grab the towel to dry myself off. Steam has fogged up the mirror so I can't see my reflection in it which is probably a good thing. I haven't been in a good mood today and seeing my reflection would have made me think of my father and that would just make me angrier and I don't need that.
Seeing as I have no spare undergarments, I put the cold wet ones back and and pull on the blue and white stripped pajama pants on while pulling on the long sleeved button up top to match. Knowing that I can't let him see my face, I grab the soaked scarf and roll it to get some of the water out. I do this a few times before I re-wrap the scarf around my face.
I check my appearance in the mirror, after wiping away the steam with my hand, making sure all but my eyes and some of the bridge of my nose are hidden. Leaving my soaked cloak in the sink, I flip the light off and slip out into the hall. Apparently that guy was telling the truth because he's nowhere to be seen and there sure isn't anywhere to hide in this place.
Snooping around isn't something that I normally do, I mean occasionally when I was younger and trying to figure our hint about my father or my mother's past, I'd rummage through her things and find nothing. Now though, I'm just so bored that I'm fighting myself to keep from looking around. This isn't my place and it's rude to do that.
As tempting as snooping is though, there's not really any place to hide things. I sure as hell am not going to rifle through his drawers, there's probably some stuff in there that isn't suited for people my age. I don't know what kind of things he might have, but the assumption of dirty magazines in one possibility. Aunt Hanabi's always talking about how this guy she has a crush on is always buying those magazines.
Deciding that standing around awkwardly is only making me antsy, I wade deeper into the room. Clutching the surprisingly soft orange blanket so it doesn't fall, I sit down near the edge of the bed. Feeling uncomfortable as I do. Not that the bed isn't comfy, but it's some strange guys bed and I don't even want to think about what things have been done in this bed.
I cringe at just the thought.
Just as I'm about to rest my head against my knees, a flash of light reflecting draws my eye. On the radio or table (I'm honestly not sure what it is and seeing as I could break it if I tried... well) are pictures. The smaller picture is framed and shows a team of genins I assume, obviously the boy on the right with a glare directed at the dark-haired kid is the guy whose apartment I'm in.
Between the two boys in a girl with bright pink hair that I could recognize anywhere. Auntie Sakura. She was younger though, about my age if I had to guess, with both hands under her his chin with rosy colored cheeks. The black haired boy on the left just looked pissed off, like he'd rather be doing anything else besides taking that photograph.
In the background was a silver-haired man with a mask pulled up over his mouth and his forehead protecter slanted over his right eye. Even if I don't know that many people outside the Compound, I'd be a complete moron not to recognize this man. Hatake Kakashi, the Sixth Hokage. Meaning that this must be one old picture because this was back when he still had a team of genins.
Glancing over, I see another picture with a familiar face and eerily recognizable blond hair. Though his was much more spiked and longer than the guy who's house I'm in, or even mine for that matter. He had the same blue eyes that I'd seen the man who brought me here. This must be his father, that would be the only logical explanation, but the hokage robe the man in the picture wore was what sealed it.
Namikaze Minato, the Fourth Hokage who faced the Nine-tails' and... and sealed the beast in his own son.
My eyes widened. No way, I shake my head furiously. That's so not possible. Why would the hero of Konoha go out of his way to keep some lonely little kid some company? Ridiculous, but then again... I marked the similarities between the old picture of the kid version of the stranger and of the Fourth and as I did, I pretty much crushed my doubt.
So, the man whose house this is... is the son of the fourth?
What was his name?
The jinchūriki who struggled all his life because the villagers hated him because of the beast sealed within him. Uzumaki Naruto