p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Sasuke woke up in the human arms, warm and comfy even though his shirt kinda smell of dirt and old. Unlike him, Naruto is hot like a furnace, totally opposite to his cold body temperature, so when his skin accidentally touched the strong arms that wrapped around him, he found himself snuggling close, hearing the beating heart of a human for the first time./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"It's hot and ... oddly comforting./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"It reminded him of his mother's embrace and his brother's caress on his hair and cheeks. The image of his family crossed his mind, unbidden but he quickly tamped it down. Pushing his nose near the joint between the neck and the shoulder blade, Sasuke inhaled the scent that made his toes curl and heart stutter, and as his small hand cling to the worn-out shirt, he opened his mouth to take a long breath./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Once again he found the forest and earthy scent intoxicating. It was what brought him to Naruto in the first place, except this time there's no blood staunching the air. At the memory, a shiver ran down his spine and his heart pounded as he recalled the scenery of limbs scattering like trash, the red liquid seeping to the ground and splashing on the green leaves, and the eyes of the dead humans bulging with terror./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"They were pretty hauled like the meat of a predator. A nasty one, Sasuke could tell by the way some of the bodies were badly ripped and chunks of meat were tossed around. It overwhelmed him as soon as the pungent and strong odor pierced his nose, slithering around him like a snake until his legs gave out and he choked out on the ground. It winded up his lungs and clogged his throat, punching the air out of him./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"The scent is dangerous, aggressive, and ... feral./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"A feral darkling./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Sasuke had heard from his brother about them. It's unheard of but not unusual. It happened when the youngling was abandoned from birth and left to fend for itself. Sasuke is not good at human language since his family only talked in the darkling language but a feral is worse than that. They couldn't communicate which makes them difficult to tame, even by their own kin. If it matured alone without any help and guidance, the youngling will turn into a feral, and a feral, in the darkling's law should be killed upon sighting because they are dangerous not only to the human but also to their own race./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"The feral must be a mature one as it managed to kill five adult humans with weapons. Of course, the blunt object couldn't slice or pierced it open but the humans should manage to strike and knock it out. Eventually, they fail as they ended up dead in a horrible condition. It was fortunate the blonde human was able to escape alive, which rose another question of why the feral left Naruto alive. Sasuke tilted his head slightly, the whiskers twitched under the soft light seeping through the crack of the broken window./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Is it because of his darkling features?/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"When he looked at first glance, Naruto looks normal enough to be passed as a human. But last night caught him off guard as he appeared clean without the dirt and blood stain on his face and there was no hat covering the blonde turf. He was confused at first. Just like the feral, he also never heard of a human with darkling features. Either it is some sort of unknown disease (he doubts that) or a product born from a forbidden consummation between a human and a darkling./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Sasuke is young, yes, but he was already exposed to the law and rules of humans and their race since he started learning the alphabet. The Codex, a thick, old smell-like worn-out shoe book containing almost two hundred rules and regulations took him a week to finish reading while his brother, like the genius he was, didn't take a full day. Recalling the long-haired darkling, shame twisted in his gut at the jealousy and pettiness./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"His perfect older brother, whom his parent and the household adored. Not even a single imperfect tainted him since he was birthed and only success followed him after. The pride of their family and the heir of their clan./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Sasuke should feel proud. He was, truly, and yet, there was room for doubt sneaking at the corner of his heart of his status as the child of the Uchiha. Everything from head to toe, to his dark shade hair and obsidian hair to the fair skin - he was all an Uchiha. Even in the study, he was above average though not on par with his brother - another excellent trait of their family. His face and intelligence screamed and Uchiha when physically, he was not./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"He hasn't fully matured./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"A darkling has two maturity phases - the first phase was the Awakening where the beast inside a youngling awakened to its primal instinct. During this period which usually occurred for three days, the youngling will experience wild emotions they couldn't understand because of the beast trying to take over their mental state. During this state also, the youngling has the tendency to go feral if there are no elders or parents to guide and stabilize their instinct./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Sasuke still recalled the moment vividly. His mother's tight hold on him as he opened his eyes, her proud smile, and his brother's relief sigh. The shirt he wore was drenched with sweat and his always-perfect hair was mussed and messy. His mother had asked the last thing he remembered before he blacked out and it was a nasty voice growling inside his head. At that, the dark eyes had widened slightly, the hold on him tightened until it almost crushed his bone and for a split of second, Sasuke swore he saw fear in the same charcoal eyes. In a blink of an eye, the expression smoothly changed and his mother gave him the usual smile that belied any emotions./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"He was five when he awakened but Sasuke's no idiot. He might naive and quiet, but his eyes were sharp. There was something wrong with him and yet none of them talked about his Awakening. Until his Changing didn't come even though he passed the age where most younglings experienced their first changing to their darkling form./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"After his tenth birthday, everything changed./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"The scorn he received from the other relatives, the disappointing faces from the Elders, and the soft whispers among the walls. Despite all that, the only thing stuck in his mind was his mother's wide smile as he woke up on his birthday. Relief and happiness./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"How can she be relieved when her youngest son didn't mature fully like her other son?/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Sasuke buried his face in the crook of Naruto's neck as the voices came slithering, disrupting his emotions. Faces of disappointment and scowling flashed like it happened yesterday although a week had already passed. Sasuke gritted his teeth, berating himself for drowning in the memory. It's not the time to reminiscence. He has something important to accomplish before he could return to his family./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"A soft smile spread on his tiny lips when he stared back at the human. Naruto smells home and safe. It doesn't matter that half-human is a product of a forbidden mating or being with him is a crime itself, his beast reveled at the warm touch and tantalizing scent and Sasuke loved how patient Naruto could be when handling him./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"No matter what happens, he will stick by Naruto's side until he gets what he wishes for./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Finding a witch./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"*~*/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"They ate another tomato soup since Sasuke came to like the red, round vegetable. The soup tasted bland but the sour taste of tomato suit his taste well and he finished his meal within a minute. Compared to the luxurious food in the Uchiha's house, the soup is suited for the servants, no, even they sometimes get better dishes from the leftover. The half-human was skinny and malnourished as far as Sasuke can see and it baffled him how he had managed to stay alive alone in the old shack./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""I'm an orphan," Naruto gave him a wide grin when he asked why he was alone as if the topic is a happy one. "My mother died when giving birth to me."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Orphan..." Sasuke never heard the word. Human language has a wide vocabulary compared to the darklings' and while he had read countless books in both languages, some words were never spoken of and it's hard to communicate when no one is willing to engage with him./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Yeah, you know..." Naruto scratched his jaw, looking abashed. "No mother and father."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Oh." Sasuke knew that. The fact that Naruto is a halfling born meant only one thing. Death to the mother who struggled to bear the pain of laboring. Whether the mother is a human or a darkling, neither body could support a child of mixed blood since their system was not designed to carry the blood of the other. It's one of the reasons a relationship with different races is forbidden./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Well, I'm used to that. I have some help, too. They are kind people and these people will find your family," Naruto explained as he pick up the dirty dishes and brought them to the back./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Sasuke quietly followed, trailing Naruto like his shadow. When the house was illuminated by the light from the open windows, it's clear how poor the halfling is. The creaking floorboard, the dirty and damp walls with holes at the corners, mites, and ants crawling everywhere. There are also piles of firewood lying on the floor beside baskets where fruits and herbs waiting to rot under the ray that sneaks from the thatched roof./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Naruto opened the door and the sight that greeted him almost made him burst into tears. The house was surrounded by trees, and grass that grew wild and unattended, and probably a few kilometers ahead there was a stream Naruto talk about last night. He mentioned collecting water from the river every three days to bathe and drink./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Ah, it's dead already."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Sasuke tilted his head. The halfling had put the dirty bowls and utensils on the ground while he dejectedly looked down at the ground./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""What - dead?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""I want to show you my corps. I grew tomatoes and potatoes last week. Sorry, Sas. That's the last tomato I have," he said, plucking the dead corp and throwing it away harshly. The blonde groaned and rubbed his face tiredly. "Damn this weather."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Naruto looked forlorn and sad which made Sasuke feel very bad out of a sudden. Slowly he crept behind the crouching halfling, tentatively tugging the hem of his shirt. "It's okay."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"The blonde shook his head dejectedly. "I can't give you more unhealthy food. You need solid food - rice so you can grow up well. This -" He grabs a handful of the solid ground, staring as it cracks like broken glass before slipping through his fingers. "I need to sell it to earn money."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Shaking his head, Naruto pushed his body to stand up, pulling along Sasuke as he picked up an empty canteen and ushered him to follow him. "It's kinda embarrassing but we need Iruka's help. I've been bothering him for ages though. Wish I could be the one who lends a hand instead of always asking one."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Iruka... family?" Sasuke tightened his grip on Naruto's hand, staring down at the clear path. Something in his heart twisted at the thought there was someone else beside him in Naruto's life. It was childish for him to claim Naruto as his own when he just appeared in his life a few hours ago./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Family? I guess so. He's alone, too. I treat him like a father and he's probably the only family I have," Naruto explained cheerfully, but as he turned back to stare at him, the smile faltered a little. Sasuke doesn't know what kind of expression he made on his face, it was however enough to stop the half-human track./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Hey, what's wrong?" Naruto grabbed his hand, the touch quickly spread warmth to every part of his body. His blood tingled and the beast cooed silently. The blonde brows pinched with worry at his silence. Sasuke was confused. Why did the stranger take good care of him when he was not his blood? In his lessons, his teacher said humans are selfish, greedy, and manipulative creatures. They only think of themselves and only do something that benefits them. His father despised human beings for their power and ability, saying they are above them and shouldn't lower themselves as their familiar./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"A familiar is a disgrace to the darkling community./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"But Naruto doesn't know he's a darkling. In his eyes, he was just a normal lost boy. Sasuke's heart dropped. Is that it? Did he want to search for his parent for a reward? Sasuke bit his lips, contemplating whether to ask or not./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Did I say something wrong?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"The raven boy shook his head. His gaze lowered to the ground. If Naruto's like the other human who used him only for money, Sasuke rather he stayed alone and looked for the witch by himself. He was sure he could manage that. He is, by all means, an Uchiha./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Are you hungry? Or - or do you want to drink? Wait here, I'll scoop some for you."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Naruto dashed towards the stream, bringing along the metal canteen, Sasuke watching with curiosity at the half-human behavior. It felt sincere, as far as he can see, and there was no malice or evil intent in the azure eyes. Or has his naivety clouded his judgment?/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Why?" His words were barely a whisper, but the halfling heard it enough to rose an eyebrow. His hand was wet and the canteen which was supposed to be full of water was already half spilled as he was too eager to bring it to Sasuke./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Why what?" Naruto crouched in front of him, holding a smile that made something churn in his gut. He felt guilty for questioning his sincerity but Sasuke needs to know./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Why... nice to me?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""What do you mean?" The blonde was clearly confused./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Why help me? I'm no family."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"At that, the smile faltered and a mix of emotions painted on Naruto's face - shock, mix of anger and sadness, and finally understanding. He took his hand and wrapped the small fingers securely in his, thumb caressing the back of his hand softly. Sasuke flinched at the touch. His eyes widen. It was a simple touch but so different from his mother's and brothers. It's just a hand holding and yet, the love, Naruto's sincerity, and his heart were all poured into the caress./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Can I tell you a secret, Sas?" Naruto suddenly asked, surprising him at the change of topic. Hesitantly, he nodded./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""I'm not a human. Well, some part of me," Naruto shrugged, still thumbing his hand. "My father is a darkling, a bastard who left his wife alone while pregnant with his child."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Sasuke could figure that much. Just as he thought. Still, he waited for Naruto to continue, watching as the halfling sometimes smiled with grimaced, laughed bitterly, and snorted at the mention of his father./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""I was called a halfling, but the villagers prefer to call me names. Bad luck, abomination, trash... " He bit his lips, and the hold on his hands tighten. "But that's not the worse of it."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Naruto tilted his head to lock their eyes together, the blue irises seems to search for something in his charcoal eyes, long and hard as if looking straight to his soul, as if his gaze alone could convey the silent words. Under the intense gaze, Sasuke squirmed, skin suddenly poured with sweat./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Inside me, there's a beast."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Sasuke's eyes widen slightly. His interest perked at the revelation. Since no halfling could escape the death punishment by human law or survive the birth process, no books or archives had documentation of the new species. No one knew how much they are different from both humans and darklings. Despite the mystery, to know the halfling also harbor a beast inside him came as no surprise to him./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""When I was twelve, I heard a voice. It called out to me," Naruto said, eyes lingering on the ground instead of Sasuke. But Sasuke couldn't help but stand frozen as he recalled his first phase of maturity./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"A voice, deep and low rumble, whispering to him, soothing his inner beast./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Is that his beast?/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"No. It can't be. Mother said the beast is ourselves. They don't talk to us since we are one, we are the ones who command and we are the ones who give control. The beast never spoke to any of the darklings. So why is he —?/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""At first I was afraid. Some days I thought I was crazy. Who wouldn't?" Naruto laughs halfheartedly, shaking his head. "But it stay with me when I was alone in the small house, talking to me although it sounded gibberish. Although it seems scary at first, for me it was my only friend, my family. I may not understand a word it said but —" the halfling meets his eyes again, a soft smile spread, and the touch grew tender. Naruto caresses his cheek, holding it in his big hands. Sasuke could feel tears pricking at the corner of his eyes./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"How many times had he longed for such touch?/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""It likes you, Sas. It told me you're family, no matter your blood, no matter your race, and I want you, too. I mean - as a family," Naruto said, cheeks flaming red under the heating sun./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Air felt likes punched out of his lungs and the dam he tried to hold out broke. He cried as Naruto hug him, enveloping him in his warm embrace./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""I too," Sasuke sobbed, his snot dirtying the already wet fabric./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"A soft chuckle vibrated in his ears. "It's 'me' too, Sas. I think we need to work out your sentences. Iruka is a good teacher but he's kinda busy nowadays because of the drought. I'll teach you later, yeah?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Sasuke quietly nodded. His cry had subsided and he cooed at the soft rub on his back. Like a kitten, he snuggled closer, relishing that something and someone cherished him enough to declare him as a family./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Can Sas talk to it, too?" Sasuke prodded, eager to learn more about the halfling. It seems that the halfling and the beast are two separate entities, unlike the normal darkling./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Naruto scratched his cheek, a habit Sasuke picked up after catching it a few times. It's when Naruto is embarrassed or afraid to speak so his words don't hurt anyone./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Uhm... I don't think you can, Sas. It always appeared randomly, sometimes late at night but usually early in the morning. Nowadays it's hard to hear its voice anymore. Maybe because I found you," Naruto spoke softly, pushing his body lightly so he can wipe away the tears. "You know what I mean, right?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Sasuke could figure Naruto was talking about the reason the halfling was helping him. With confidence and a shy smile, he nodded. Naruto chuckled, standing up to look at the stream beyond the trees./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""You said you like water?" A mischievous glint twinkled in the cerulean eyes, captivating Sasuke for a moment he didn't realize Naruto was picking him up, and then they were running in the forest, wind passing through them, heart beating faster at the warmth and affection gaze. Before he could turn his head forward, water splashed on his body, soaking his clothes./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Water..." he murmured, blinking at the familiar feelings of the cold liquid bathing him. They were in the river, Naruto sitting at the edge, his feet dipping into the green-blueish river. Sasuke peeled him off from the embrace, eager to touch and feel the water he missed so much./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Careful there."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"It's not the sea, it's not the same color and coldness but it's still water after all. Without caring if his clothes will get wet, Sasuke jumped into the slow-moving river, happily jumping and feeling the uneven ground under his shoes. The water was a comfort to his cool skin. The suffocating feelings, the dryness and itchiness of his skin, and the uneasiness of not soaking into the ocean left him bereft and lost./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Now. Now he's alive and whole./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""You do really like water," Naruto chuckled behind him, amused by his antics and Sasuke threw him a wide grin, free and satisfied. The halfling gave him a smile of his own in return, mirroring his feelings - happiness and love./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"The scenery blinded him. His ears heard the whistling sound of rustling leaves on the ground, his cold skin felt warm under the sun, and his eyes were glued to the tender gaze of the one they called the monster in front of him./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Naruto is no monster, he realized. No monster could hold him in such softness and tenderness. No monster would caress him lovingly though they are not kin./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"If the human refused to accept him as one of their own, then Sasuke will take him as his./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"But for now, he was content to soak himself in the water with Naruto's tight hold on his shirt, afraid to let him go./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"***/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"After half an hour of playing along the stream, Naruto had to drag him out of fear he might get sick. Like a worried parent, he fussed him over, drying his limp jet-black hair with his shirt which he quickly discarded from his body as soon as Sasuke stepped out of the water./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Dry your hair a little bit longer," he reminded as Sasuke swatted his hand away./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Me fine," he grumbled, somehow hating how the water had already dried out from his body. He couldn't tell Naruto that though without explaining what he is. Human-like drying things, he noticed hence after a few failed try to avoid Naruto's attempt to make his state clean and dry, Sasuke gave up./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""You will get sick if you're not dry enough," Naruto chastised./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Sasuke wanted to tell him he never gets sick. A darkling rarely has a sickness, especially a good-care one. And Sasuke is a prime, healthy youngling born under the house of Uchiha. Of course, again, he couldn't tell Naruto. So he let himself be pampered by his voice, the careful stroke on his hair and face./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Your shorts will dry on their own," Naruto said, squeezing the hem to get rid of any liquid in the fabric. After being satisfied with Sasuke's appearance, he squeezed his own shirt and then put it back. He lifted his head to stare at the sun, blinding his sight for a few moments. "It's noon already. We should head up to Iruka."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"He didn't say anything, still feeling a little on edge about the new human he was about to meet. Since Naruto likes him enough to treat him as family, he might be lenient to like him too even though part of him refused to accept others into their small circle./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"The walk is farther than returning from the mountain. Along the way, Sasuke noticed how barren the land looks after the drought hit it a few days ago. Or maybe it's just the way it is. Empty, dry, and windy. There are few trees to shield them from the ray but mostly it was Naruto, bringing along a broken hat with a straw stuck in all directions, holding it above his head./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Can you see that? That's Iruka's house!" Naruto pointed at the thatched roof eagerly as they walked down a hill. From his view, Sasuke could only see the roof, a slightly better condition than Naruto. And as they reached the flat ground, he saw a few houses built not far away from each other with a small farm either at the front or the back./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Only Naruto is the isolated one./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Anger brimming under his cool scrutinized as his eyes swept at Iruka's house. It looks far better than Naruto. Bigger than the old shack even though he only lived alone. So why didn't he take Naruto under his roof as well? Is he a family just like Naruto claimed he is? Isn't that how an institution is supposed to function?/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Come, Sas! Before the others started their morning." Naruto said softly but with a little tug pulled his hand towards the closed-door house like someone was chasing them. Sasuke let out a grunt, eyeing the door suspiciously./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Naruto knocked on the door twice, the hinges rattled at the strength but the halfling only gave him a grin. Not a few seconds later, the wooden door opened, and a middle-aged man appeared with a scowl on his face./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Naruto, what did I tell you about knocking this loud-" His words faltered as his eyes caught him, and the scowl turned into a deep frown. Sasuke blinked. He couldn't fathom the reason but despite the ugly scar across his nose, the man's appearance doesn't look intimidating at all. Maybe because of his eyes - warm like the morning sun or probably his smile, sweet like honey as he squatted down to stare at Sasuke, all glowing with kindness and positivity./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Hey, there," he greeted, hands dangling on his kneecaps. "What's your name?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Even his voice was soft./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Sasuke looked at his shoes, suddenly feeling shy under the man's gaze. The jealousy was long forgotten./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""This is Sas, Iruka. I found him in the wood."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Oh? The wood?" The thick eyebrows arched in a telling way. "How on earth did he end up there? Is he hurt?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Naruto shook his head. "Not that I know of, only dirty and a bit scratched here and there."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"The man - Iruka watched both of them with contemplating gaze before locking his eyes with Naruto. "You want help to find his parents."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Naruto beamed. "Yes! Can you help him, Iruka?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""I'm not sure, Naruto but I'll try my best," the man gave him a smile before pushing his body to stand. He smile a wide smile that made his eyes wrinkle. "Now, have you two eaten?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"—-/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Sasuke has decided./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"He liked Iruka. Maybe. Just a little./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"The man was not bad himself. His food was slightly tastier than Naruto's (not that he'll tell the halfling), his voice was soft and kind, and like Naruto, he got a warm aura around him./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Biting a chunk of bread, Sasuke listened as both talked about him as if he were invincible. His dark eyes wandered at the small house, round tables where they sat on the floor, a hanging lamp dangling above their head, a kitchen fills with food supplies unlike Naruto, and two closed rooms probably the bedroom and the bathroom./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Can you help find his parent, Iruka?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Sasuke turned his focus on the conversation, waiting with a bored expression. No matter how much they look into his family, they won't find them./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""I don't know much about outsiders, Naruto. Judging by his appearance, he's not a Southerner. What's his name? Maybe I could look up his family name."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Eyeing him from the corner of his eyes, Naruto mumbled a word in a flash. Sasuke rolled his eyes at the action./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""What?" Iruka leans forward to Naruto's mouth, trying to catch up on the soft word./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Naruto grunted. Sasuke couldn't understand the hesitancy. It's not like he prohibited the halfling to expose his name nor will it affect him./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Since it's not his real name./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"From his long eyelashes, Naruto whispered to Iruka with a worried look./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""That's all?" Iruka frowned. "No family name?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Naruto nodded sombrely. "He - he's not very fluent in speaking."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""How old is he?" Iruka asked with the expression of like one of Sasuke's private teachers. Thinking and calculating./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Oh. Um, I didn't ask him. Sas —"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""10 summers," Sasuke answered without pulling his gaze away from the half-eaten bread. It tasted bland the more he ate but he swallowed it nevertheless./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""10? And he's not good at speaking?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""I think he understands what we were talking about but his vocabulary is minimal. It's like —" Naruto made a gesture with his hand, waving into the thin air. "He never made a conversation before."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Iruka hummed, again sneaking a glance at him./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Is it normal for a boy his age?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""It's not actually." (At this, Naruto grimaced. It reminded Sasuke of when his mother ate the human sour fruit.) "But you said he's a quick learner?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""Yeah. Sas is very good at memorizing. He's a genius, aren't you, Sas?" Naruto said proudly, casually ruffling his spiky hair. Sasuke has no heart in him to be angry when his hair was touched because Naruto was giving him the bright smile that made his heart soar./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""You like a proud mother, Naruto," Iruka chuckled, sipping his tea. "Where did you find him again?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""I —"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Suddenly the bell rang, resounding in every part of the house, long and eerily loud. Iruka and Naruto jumped to their feet, exchanging worried glances as the older opened the door of his house, watching the uproar among the villagers./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""What happened?" Iruka asked one of his neighbors, a skinny man with bulging eyes and thin, brown hair who had stopped plowing the ground. He wore the same outfit as Iruka which Sasuke interpreted as the peasant's clothes - long, dark pants, pale shirts, and straw hats covering his head. At the question, his eyes got impossibly wide, the white almost consumed the irises./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""It's Koto," he said, face blanched with fear./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"Naruto staggered a bit. Sasuke looked up at his guardian, noticing how the blood had drained from his face, fists clenching on his side. He wondered who Koto was when the man dropped his words, realization dawned on him./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;""He was found dead in the wood."br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"09/08/2022br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;"A/N: This is unbeta-ed and can be treated as a draft. I need to finish this chapter so that I can move to the other stories. Will return to editing in the future./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" /p