3 years later
"Hey look at that! We're going to land soon!" a boy with blond, spiky hair shouted with excitement.
"Hey, let me see!" the girl next to him demanded, pushing the boy's head down so she can see.
"Will you two be quiet? There's nothing to 'freak' about… aho" Another boy, one with quite rare dark skin, says calmly.
"Oh really?" The two other children stared at him with a grin on their faces.
"Hey look at that, Takeshi. There's a really tall building down there. I wonder how many people work in there" the girl says, eyeing the dark skin boy at the same time.
"I don't know about that, but it's quite tall. Hey look, Kazuha-kun, you could see THE POLICE STATION over here. Wow, it's so TALL!" Takeshi replied to the girl.
For the next five minutes, Takeshi and Kazuha continued to "talk" about the amazing features of their landing destination, New York City. Finally, the dark-skin boy burst out in excitement, took off his seat belt despite the lit seatbelt signal, and rushed to the window.
"Let me see!" All he could see though are tiny buildings, and couldn't even identify a street. He glared at the two children, now bursting in laughter.
"Did you see Heiji's face?" Kazuha said in laughter.
"You mean this face?" Takeshi said with a frown, surprise, and shock expression on his face, pretending to be Heiji.
The next instant they knew, Heiji had jumped on them and started pulling on their faces. A fight soon developed.
"Will you three quit it?" Heiji's mom, Hattori Shizuka, declared. All three children looked up, and instantly sat politely on their seats. What scared them was not Heiji's mom, but the look on Heiji's father's, Hattori Heizou, face.
"Ha ha ha… Seems like only you can control kids like them" Mr. Toyoma said.
The plane soon landed in New York City airport. The three children, especially Takeshi, jumped excitedly while waiting for Heiji's and Kazuha's parents.
"So, when are we going to see my parents?" Takeshi demanded.
"They should be waiting for us at the gate."
Off like rocket, he ran past people towards the gate. After the group got out of the "getting off" area, they finally come got out of the gate.
"Over there, they're over there!" Takeshi pointed. A couple came towards them. One was a tall black hair man, and the other, a light brown hair American woman. Takeshi jumped at them when they came near enough.
"Hey little guy," the man, Hatake Ginji said. "How's Japan? Did you do well there?"
"Ginj… I mean, uh dad, stop asking so many questions!"
With that, the whole group left the airport. The Hatakes dropped the Hattoris and Toyomas at a fancy hotel, and drove home with Takeshi.
"So, may I ask the questions now?" Ginji asked. "Did you have fun there? How's school going along?"
"I'm doing fine, Ginji ji-san. I didn't get into that much trouble. I made a lot of friends too."
"I heard you went to the Miyano's place." Ginji's wife, Himiko said. She was the kind that brings forth concerns in the most, and worst, direct way. The look on Takeshi's face hardened, and broke into a smile again.
"I just played near there. Kids were having a soccer game around there, so I thought I'll take a look."
"You're still looking for the Miyanos, right?" Himiko questioned.
"…"
"Their existence was already confirmed three years ago. They died in an accident, and thanks to the police, the FBI, well us, were able to find you. We put you under the witness protection program and ordered you to stay away from those… those people. The Miyanos were part of that organization, and yet, you now want to go and find them. They may be friends with Tezuka, but we can't be sure that people don't know about that. We can't risk losing you too. Tezuka and Miki were our friends, and we swore to protect you" Himiko said with sad, teary eyes.
"I'm sorry, Himiko ne-san. I won't do it again…" His eyes turned watery and looked at Himiko and Ginji. The two looked at each other and sighed. That always works, Takeshi thought evilly, now with a smile on his face.
"So you want to visit your parents today?" Ginji asked, and got a huge "YES" as a reply.
They arrived at Takeshi's parents' grave, and stayed there about half an hour, and went to the Hatakes' house.
"Take a good nap and we'll wake you up at dinner, ok?" Himiko said and tucked Takeshi to bed. Instantly, he fell asleep after the long, tired plane flight.
Outside in the dining table, Himiko and Ginji are discussing in low whispers.
"I've had info that SHE's been seen around here. Do you think they know he will be here?" Ginji questioned.
"No, his identity has been kept securely. No one should know who he even is. In his records, we ARE his parents." Himiko replied.
"I'm still worried. I didn't even want him to come back, at least not now."
"It is summer vacation in Japan. Besides, he wanted to see his parents. It's better to have him wander in Japan trying to find the Miyano sisters."
"About that, I heard the older sister had been recruited into the BO. The younger one, I heard, is here in the US, under the "protection" of the BO"
"That may be true, and that is why we have to make sure Takeshi away from them."
"I guess you're right…"
THE NEXT DAY
They're still asleep, Takeshi thought as he peeked into Ginji's and Himiko's room. Maybe I can wander around until lunch. Having eaten his breakfast, he went out and walked around the neighborhood. As he did so, he heard noises coming from down the street, and decided to check it out. Three boys were picking on a girl about the age of 7. She has brownish, blondish hair and a cold expression on her face. She stood with no resistance to the bullying.
At first sight, all Takeshi could think of was that the girl was… well cute. For some reason, he felt that he was connected to her for some reason. One thing he knew, though, was that he needs to protect her.
"Hey what are you doing to her!" Takeshi jumped in front of the girl. Now face to face with the three guys, he realized that he was twice as small as them.
"Oh, so now you've got a PROTECTOR?" The boys said to the girl and burst into laughter. "Well, what are you waiting for? Aren't you suppose to wield a sword or something and hit me?"
The boys started pushing Takeshi, and in response, Takeshi jabbed one of the boys in the chin.
"Get him!" The injured boy declared.
Yet even with all three of them, Takeshi could not help but feel pity for them as they fell to the floor one by one. The boys, knowing that they have no chance winning, ran away.
"Hey you alright?" Takeshi asked to the girl.
Without a reply, the girl walked off.
"Hey…" He grabbed her wrist.
"What do you want?" She glared at him, with no emotions in her eyes. Yet this glare didn't affect him. He returned the glare with a big, huge smile.
"I'll take you home. Your leg's injured anyways."
The girl was caught off guard. When she had got up and started walking, the pain shot through her body like a sting. She tried to hid, and she hid the fact well. Yet, he was able to see right through her. Before she knew it, she was already on his back.
"Do you always get picked on?" he asked. The girl didn't reply.
"So do you live around here?" He tried again, and immediately realized that he had just asked a really stupid question. The girl again didn't reply.
He tried to make her talk several times, and, in the end, did succeed making her talk.
"Do you always talk so much?" The girl coldly replied.
"It's better than sulking on someone's back" he replied. "By the way, I still haven't introduced myself. I'm Hatake Takeshi. Please to meet you. And you are?"
"I'm Mi…" the girl started to reply, but was cut off from a shout down the street.
"Hey look, SHE's got a NEW friend" a kid down the street yelled and pointed at the girl.
"Do you know them?" Takeshi asked.
"Certainly they know me…" she replied.
"Hey, is that how you treat your friend? By riding on their back?" another kid said, and laughter burst out.
"Hey cut it out! What's wrong with you people!" Takeshi yelled.
By this time, Takeshi and the girl have arrived near the kids.
"Stop picking on her or else!" Takeshi said.
"Or else what? Like you can hit us! Better yet, try to pass us!" one of the kid demanded.
"My pleasure to do so! (to the girl) Hang on tight!" Takeshi replied.
Takeshi approached them at a normal speed. As he neared, he went down, stretched out his leg, and swung his body around at the same time, tripping the kids like a domino game. Once they fell down, Takeshi calmly walked past down.
"Told you not to pick on her." He smiled. "I see that my question has been answered. You do get picked on a lot."
"You think?" she said sarcastically.
"I just thought of something. There's this place that's really cool. I'll bring you there!"
"Wait…"
Ignoring her protest, he ran off, up a hill, and to his desired destination.
"Here we are!" He said, still panting from the uphill run.
The girl was shocked when she saw the scenery. It was beautiful. From this place, she could see the whole neighborhood; all the houses, the park, everything.
"I found this place two years ago. I also come here when I'm sad. Usually, I'll just lie down here and look up." Takeshi lied down on a spot on the grass and looked up at the sky. He could see the blue sky and stared off at the slowly drifting clouds. Surprisely, the girl did the same thing. A little shock that she would actually listen to him, Takeshi continued, "When I look at the clouds, I feel so… relaxed. It's as if I'm the cloud drifting up there. It feels… good… and free…"
Truly enough, the girl felt the same way. She didn't know whether it was really the scenery and the clouds that made her calm or was it the boy next to him. At first sight, she felt that she could trust him. In some way, he had looked familiarly, whether it be attitude or face. For the first time in her life, she had felt secure with a person other than her sister. She made no protest in staying and continued to lie next to the boy, staring up at the drifting clouds. After a while, both of them fell asleep.
SEVERAL HOURS LATER
The two had woke up and decided to go home. Takeshi carried her back down the hill, and followed the girl's direction to her house. Finally, they reached gray, one-story house. Takeshi put the girl down and helped her to the front door.
"You ok by yourself?" Takeshi asked her as she opened the door. The girl nodded in return and just as she stepped through the door, Takeshi remembered something. "Hey, you still haven't told me your name!"
"Shiho. Miyano Shiho." The girl replied.