Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Salvage
"I can't believe their making us have class." Akio mutters to me as we lean against each other with my head resting on his shoulder, staring blanking at Iruka-Sensei from our seat on top of what we think is a part of a wall that used to make up the academy. Sensei's mouth is moving and a bunch of sounds are coming out but I am too out of it to process those sounds into actual words. So I have no clue what he is talking about. I do not think Akio does either. Without moving my head from its resting spot on Akio's shoulder I survey our class. Some, like Akio and I, do not seem to be listening. A couple of our classmates keep fidgeting, probably anxious to be away from their families. Others are still trembling from the fear of yesterday, nervously casting looks all around, as if they are waiting for another attack. Izumi is one of those. She is setting at the edge of our class with her knees drawn up to her chest with a clear tremor running up and down her back. Her friends surround her, but she seems to take no comfort from them. Apparently, from what I heard, her parents are away on mission and have yet to make it back. If rumors are true, they are not expected back for a couple more weeks, and that is assuming if they do not get word of the village's distress. But that meant she had to spend last night in that tent that I escaped thanks to Naruto, Which is another thing I have to be thankful for otherwise I would have had Izumi as a roommate. But for the first time I am able to understand what she is feeling. I remember the pain of being on my own and fear of not ever seeing my family again. Izumi must be feeling the same. The only difference is that I knew that I would not see my parents and brother again. Izumi will most likely be seeing her parents soon.
Thinking about my family makes me remember this morning with Naruto. Guilt rebuilds in my head as I remember his annoyed expression as he called me a brat. He should not have chased after me. I should not have run. How can I make it up to him?
A small number of our classmates are actual paying attention, hanging on to every word that comes out of Iruka-sensei's mouth. They are sitting the closet to him, right under his feet. However, I think they are listening more for a sense of normalcy than of interest. A sense of normalcy is probably what Iruka-sensei and all of the other teachers were going from when they decided to hold classes. I look away from our class to observe the other classes that are taking place to out left, right, across, and diagonally from us. The teachers had cleared a big portion of debris from where the academy used to be to form a big circle, right next to the tent that Izumi and other kids with absent parents had to sleep in. They left some of the bigger and more stable pieces behind to be used for chairs, but mostly the circle is all cleared, and there is enough room for them to conduct lessons, as long as the lessons are lectures and not something like sparring or weapons training.
However, after taking a look around I see that not every year is here. The two years above ours are absent. They, being older and closer to graduating, were expected to help clean up the village. I do not know who got the better option. Us, who are stuck here, pretending to listen to our teacher or them who have to spend the day laboring, at least they are actively doing something.
Then there are the younger students. Looking at them I can see that they seem to be more interested in each other stories about the attack than the lesson, and it looks like one teacher is running more of a group therapy session than class. I wonder if that is actually doing any good.
I look back at Iruka-sensei even though I am still not listening to him. But I know that his voice is light and not stern as it usually is during lectures. He has not called anyone out for not paying attention, which makes me think that whatever he is talking about cannot be that important. Today's class is probably supposed to be more for comfort than for actual learning.
Sighing deeply, I place more of my weight on Akio, and look down at my hands. Akio shifts slightly to accommodate me and I feel his head resting on top of mine. It is amazing how fast Akio bounced back to be his usual self. I mean sure, both of us are clinging a bit more than usual to each other, but all the fear and pain from yesterday seems to have left Akio completely. This morning after Naruto had knocked me on the head, called me a brat and we had to walk back to our tent to get our shoes I had ran off to find Akio's tent because Naruto had jetted off to help with the reconstruction of the village and I am not ready to be alone yet. When I found him, he was outside his neighborhood tent with his mother arguing about his hair. His mother did not think it was presentable. And Akio's argument was, "We're living in a tent, it doesn't matter!" However, messy hair or not Akio looked better than me. His face was dirt free and somehow he had clean clothes on. I, on the other hand, only have the dirty and worn clothes from yesterday. My hair is a tangled mess, especially after the run I took this morning, and I have yet to scrub the dirt off my hands and face. I have not been this dirty since I was fleeing from my home in the land of Earth.
Akio's mother was about to retort when I approached them. Akio had smiled at me with a relieved expression as I had just saved him from a scolding from his mother, because she took one look at me and ushered me into their tent, completely ignoring the other occupants. Akio came limping in behind us, since his ankle has not fully healed from yesterday. His mother said, "Wait right here. I'll get so something to wash your face and some of Akio's clothes. Hopefully they'll fit". According to Akio, while his parents were taking their shift patrolling the village they had stationed themselves where their home used to be and were able to rummage through the rubble and find some things that were not destroyed, like clothes, soap, towels, some medical supplies, weapons, family photos, and some food. The food, medical supplies, and weapons they forked over to the village for rationing but all the other stuff they kept, which assured they had a way to be clean, and regained some of their memories. However, in Akio's opinion, he kind of wished that his mother and father had not found the pictures because they were mostly his baby pictures which his mother had happily shared with their neighbors the moment she came back from her shift despite the black circles under her eyes and the clear signs of sleep deprivation. His father, at the moment, was sleeping in the corner of their side of the tent, twitching every now and then at the commotion his wife was making.
His mother came back and shoved a bundle of clothes into my arms, and a wash cloth into Akio's. "You go over there and try them on", she said to me as she pushed me over to a sheet that they has hanged up at the far end of the tent for some privacy. "And Akio, go outside and get that cloth damp", she ordered. "But be sparingly. We don't have water to waste."
The clothes, despite being one size to big, felt nice against my skin as they were not caked in dirt. Akio's signature camouflage tank top hanged loosely on my shoulders, but lucky I can wear his black pants without needing a belt, but the pant legs are too long, so I had to roll them up passed the cuff and they look a little silly. I walked out from behind the sheet the same time Akio came back into the tent with the wash cloth. He took one look at me and snorted. I scowled at him as his mother starting pulling on the clothes, trying to straighten them out. "They'll have to do", she said as she grabbed the wash cloth from her son, and with no warning started to rub it over my face with a little too much force for my liking. Akio's snort transformed into a full out laugh, as I shifted uncomfortably. After going a half year without any parental attention I guess I am not used to it any more.
Akio's laugh stirred his father awake, as he sat up with his eyes barely open and asked, "What are you two up too?" In a voice that suggested that he wanted to be a part of whatever they were doing.
Akio's mother had sighed before she said, "Oh, Akio's friend is here, you know the one he was with yesterday. She's a complete mess", she said as she finished with my face and moved on to my hands. Well thank you Akio's mother I like you too, I thought as she continued. "So I gave her some of Akio's clothes".
Akio's father nodded as he looked at me. "Well not everyone is going to be as fortunate as us. We were pretty lucky to find some of our stuff", he reasoned.
Akio came up to me after his mother had decided that I was as clean as I was going to get and said, "Hey dressed like that ya could be a Suzuki if ya want. Ya know since ya look the part now". He said snickering. I had frowned at him. Did I really look that silly in his clothes?
From behind us his father spoke up and said in a teasing voice, "why not. A daughter would probably be easier to manage than you". He was looking at Akio with such affection that I had to look away as Akio decided he did not like that comment and jumped on his father and started to wrestle, much to the exasperation of his mother and the amusement of his neighbors. Even his neighbors' baby started to squeal with delight at all of the activity. Not long after that a messenger came, telling us the academy was open and we were sent here.
"Akio", I muttered to him. A breeze blows through our makeshift academy, reminding everyone where we are and what state we are in.
"Yea", he replied, sounding half asleep.
"Was it just me, or did your mother seem really pleased about us going to the academy?" I asked, remembering how she had practical pushed us out of their tent with instructions to go straight to class and nowhere else.
From beneath my head I can feel Akio shrug. "She's all for supervision right now, and both her and dad have more shifts to cover so one of Iruka-sensei's lectures couldn't have come at a better time for her."
Akio's tank top slips off my right shoulder and without thinking about it I pull it back up. It has been falling off my shoulder since I first put it on. "Do you think they are holding classes just to keep us out of the way?" I asked as Iruka-sensei's eyes roamed over our class. His eyes rest briefly on Akio and I and his lips start twitching upwards, threatening to smile as he continues with his lesson. I frown at him. Adults have been smiling at us all morning. I think it has something to do with the matching clothes.
Akio sighs. "Wouldn't put it past them. But I wish we could do some sparring or anything other than this boring lecture." Akio grumbles as he starts to fidget.
His movement makes me pick up my head and sit up. I look at him and ask, "Can you even spar? Would that not make your ankle worse?"
Akio shakes his head. "Nah! It's almost completely normal. I didn't sprain it. It's just twisted." He said in a regular voice drawing the attention of our classmates that are sitting next to us. "So what do you think Iruka-sensei is talkin' about?" Akio asked, changing the subject.
"How about you tell us Akio" Iruka-sensei orders from up front. He is trying to make his voice strict but he sounds more amused than anything else. I guess compared to yesterday our usual classroom antics are more amusing than annoying. But give it a week. I bet by the end of it Iruka-sensei will be back to yelling at us.
The whole class turns to look at Akio as he sits up straighter. He looks at me with his eyes wide. But I only shrug. I do not know what the lesson is about either. Slowly he looks back at Iruka-sensei. "Uhh", he said, trying to buy time. "You're looking really… good Iruka-sensei. Your hair is… extra spikey today".
The class starts giggling and I have to cover my mouth with my hand to keep from following suit. However, it is not until Iruka-sensei himself starts laughing that everyone else in our class starts to laugh full heartedly. The other classes give us a few weird looks but no one stops laughing. Akio turns a light shade of pink and his scratches his head, but a smile is slowly growing on his face. In reality what Akio said actually is not that funny. I mean, it would still make people snicker on an average day. But today it is much needed comical relief, which explains the uproarious laughter.
"What are we looking for again?" I asked Akio a half hour after we were dismissed from the academy as I push aside the smaller pieces of debris that was once his neighbors' house, the family with the baby. The sun is high in the sky as it is sometime in the afternoon. Shinobi and civilians alike are wandering around with armfuls of rubble, trying to clean up the mess of yesterday, but it is hard to see much improvement.
Akio pauses in his own search and looks over at me. "Stuffed animal, blanket, anything to help that baby stop crying. It cried most of last night. And when it didn't stop its mom started crying with it!" Akio may be doing this more for himself that his neighbors but it is still nice of him for trying. If we find anything it would probably make both mother and baby happy. I pause in my search as a thought hits me. Would Naruto be happy if I recovered something of his? That could be a way to apologize for this morning.
Looking at Akio I see that his hunched over in his search, elbows deep in the rubble. "Akio", I called and waited for him to acknowledge that he heard me. He looks up at me with an expression that is clearly asking what. "After we finish up here do you think we can go over to where my apartment used to be and look for stuff?" I asked.
Akio straightens out his back before grinning at me. "Ya sick of my clothes already?" he asked, snickering.
I sigh and shake my head at him. "Do they really look that bad?" I looked down at my camouflaged covered stomach. I know they are a bit big, and they are exactly what Akio wears every day, but it is not like I am playing dress up.
Laughing, Akio shakes his head. "Nah, ya just don't look like ya self in them. Ya look less tough." Akio said as he started to search through the debris once more.
I frown not following his logic. "But your clothes are boy's clothes so why would I look less tough?" I asked as I started to search again.
Without looking up from the rubble Akio starts to snicker. "In case ya haven't notice Manami, you're a girl. And girls don't look tough in boy's clothes".
I open my mouth to disagree with him when he suddenly shouts out, "I got something!" Turning in Akio's direction I see him pull a dust covered object out from underneath the rubble. Standing up straight I watch as Akio bushes off his find before hold it up to reveal a dirty stuffed bunny. "Hopefully this will help that baby sleep", he said sounding proud of himself. "So do ya wanna head over to your place now?"
Slowly I nod my head.
On the walk over to what is left and Naruto's and my apartments Akio and I almost got lost. Nothing looks familiar any more. All that are present now are piles of debris and tents. But eventually we arrive at the right pile of ruins.
Akio places the stuffed bunny in the cleanliness spot he could find before turning to me and asking, "So what are we looking for?"
I look him in the eyes and realize that I do not really know myself. "Something that belongs to Naruto", I said slowly, more to myself than to Akio. "Something that he would want."
"We're not here for you?" Akio asked in a loud voice, sounding surprised. I shrugged and started digging through the debris. It is not like I had much, just clothes and the furniture that the apartment came with. I do not have any family keepsakes or things that I am attached too. All of that stuff is back at my house in the land of Earth, if it has been left untouched. And the only thing that I really have in the village is my father's kunai. The ones that I had escaped with when my family was destroyed and the ones that pine apple head confiscated the day that I first ran into him and his team. I wonder if my father's kunai survived the all of the destruction. They are probably under a ton of rock never to be seen again. I wince at the thought as Akio starts snickering once more. I look up at him in suspicion. "Does this mean that ya like wearing my clothes?"
I scowl at him. "Shut up", I said and started to dig through the rubble faster, which only spurs Akio on. After a moment of searching and thinking I look up and add, "But if you find any of my clothes I will not complain."
We search until it is almost dark, and stop when we see genin start to pass out the rations for tonight's dinner. And lucky it looks like they have found things to eat other than ration bars. Akio and I on the other hand have been a bit unsuccessful. Akio did find a couple of my shirts and one pair of my shorts, which was a relief. But the only thing we found of Naruto's was a smashed cup of instant ramen. I guess I will just have to try again tomorrow.
Akio picks up the stuffed bunny and waves at me. "Bye Manami! See you tomorrow. Enjoy my clothes", he said with a grin before he starts limping in the direction of his neighborhood tent. As I watch him go I cannot help but hope that the bunny that Akio found really will help that baby.