Uzumaki Taiyou, the son of Uzumaki Naruto and Hyuuga Hinata, is your regular middle school student trying to understand his homework assignment that his teacher, Umino Iruka, has given him for a festival of Konohagakure's history. The assignment given?
Write the name and short history of each family member from the fifth generation to the tenth generation, which is where you are, and provide characteristics or personal background that is found common in your family. Then write a short paragraph of what characteristic or personal situation best fits you, and why you think that is.
Think that's confusing for you? Poor Taiyou has a lot to put down due to the fact that his mother's family will probably be the largest portion of the project, and he barely knows much of his father's family since even he has no idea of his family status. Well, not much to do except gather plenty scrolls, paper, pencils, pens and bookmarks to gather as much research as he can find. He packed away his materials, grabbed a camera, and chunked away his keys. As he walked outside of the door, he began to think about Yuna's project.
"Exactly how difficult can writing a poem about the family motto be?" he asked, slowly closing the door. "Well, it must be hard for Yuna-chan. She never did like her family name or her existence before we became friends."
[Flashback]
The day was cold and the ground was hazardous from the rain. He was running fast and hard to get home before his father had time to think about his punishment. He couldn't stand disappointing his mother no matter how young or how old he would get. Taiyou may be seven years old, but even at that age he had his morals and his pride. He kept running, kept his motivation going, kept trying to move faster to get home, but one small form and one small gesture crushed it all.
It was a little girl in small, white top and yellow skirt. She had beautiful short purple hair, fair skin, and a cry that made the most hardcore serial killers be brought to sensitivity. Taiyou saw why she was crying: she had bruises and cuts on her arms and legs and a small imprint on her arm had blood trickling down and mixing with the rain. He had to stop, he wanted to stop and help her, and so he did. He sat in front of her and gently whispered to her, soothing her trembling body.
"Anou, daijoubuu?" Taiyou asked.
The little girl shot her eyes open and cowered, crawling away from him. He liked her eye color, a deep green like an emerald on a necklace. She began to blush some as she wiped away her tears, but she wouldn't speak by any means nor would she allow this boy to touch her. You cannot be certain of anyone's intentions whether they be the kind type of character or the wrong kind of personality, her father would say. She heard his voice again and practically melted in the smoothness and parental concern for her.
"Anou, I don't want to hurt you. I just wanted to heal your wounds," Taiyou offered, positioning his umbrella sideways to block the rain from being blown by the east winds. "I'm actually quite good at this," he says, concentrating his chakra.
Taiyou pushes some chakra into the little girl's leg nerves, which immobilizes her legs, and uses some of his chakra to absorb the damage. This helps the skin regenerate quicker. He does the similar treatment to her arms, and then pulls out a small first aid kit from his backpack. The little girl watches carefully as Taiyou places a small amount of liquid onto a cotton pad, but she trusts his skills and slowly lifts her leg for Taiyou to continue his work with a little cooperation. Taiyou hums a small lullaby to the little girl as he rubs antiseptic on her unclean cuts and bruises then rubs a small amount of cream on the affected areas. He uses a towel to blend the medicine and does the same procedure to her arms. Once his job is complete, he pulls out a red umbrella for the little girl and holds it out for her to grab it.
"Here, you can use this to block the rain. Your nerves should be responding by now," Taiyou reassures, gently smiling.
"You're very pretty for a boy," the little girl shyly compliments, looking in every direction but facing Taiyou.
"Arigatou, Yuna-chan."
Yuna gasped then snapped her head forward to look at Taiyou. "Who told you my name!?"
"You have the same tattoo as Sasuke-sensei. My father has told me stories about a beautiful girl being Sasuke-sensei's daughter. He said he would call you Lily sometimes when he would see you alone."
Yuna threw a punch at Taiyou's forehead without warning. Taiyou's eyes widened at the spontaneous attack but he let the move stick. Blood began to leak from the place Yuna struck him, but Taiyou didn't react at all. Instead, he waited for an explanation from the little girl sitting before him ready to fight some more.
"The only man," Yuna started, crying more, "that I know of who calls me by that name is the hokage And he will remain the only person who calls me that!"
"Doesn't your dad give you nice names?" Taiyou asked, moving Yuna's fist.
"Shut up!" Yuna screeched, slapping Taiyou's cheek. "You are never to ask me anything about my family! Ever, do you understand that you little punk!?"
" Then your father mistreats you?" Taiyou asks, seriously.
Yuna looks up and silences herself. Her eyes widen at the person - more like the thing - Taiyou becomes. His face was fierce-looking, angry and he shed no tears from the abuse that she has inflicted on him. In fact, the viciousness of Taiyou's expression intimidated Yuna and caused her to cower at his mercy. Taiyou caught her clutching at her small top and moved his eyes without shifting the position of his head or body to view the gloomy clouds and trickling rain. Yuna sensed that she had offended the boy and looked down at her feet. He did help her and showed his utmost attention. It wasn't necessary for her to attack him after he had been so hospitable. He wasn't an old man or some predator hungry for action, but he was a gentle and young boy. He was beautiful, in appearance and in heart.
"G go gomen ne," Yuna apologized, trembling. "It's just that I really like Uzumaki-dono, and I " Yuna trails off, crying again. "I I wish I was his daughter instead of my dad's. All daddy ever does is come home from his missions, trains me to fight, and watches me make flower rings or origami animals. He doesn't talk to me unless it's during training or when my grades aren't high or or "
Taiyou clutches Yuna in his arms and embraces her. She gradually gives into the gentleness and says nothing, but weeps there longing for those warm arms to hold her.
"Then, you can be friend. Uzumaki is my name, too. If you ever want to visit Naruto-sama, you can ask for me too," Taiyou whispers, soothing the girl.
"Who are you?" Yuna whispers through tears and sniffles.
"Taiyou... I'm Uzumaki-dono's musuko..."
[End of flashback]
"You-kun!" Chiharu calls, waving at Taiyou.
"Oi!" Taiyou greets back, smiling.
The meeting place seemed like a perfect spot for an escape, but it was Taiyou's favorite spot to concentrate and get away from all the troubles he has had to go through. The canal beneath the bridge had a beautiful sound of calm, rushing waters going through the tunnel and the stream glittered in the sunlight as blossoms swirled in the ripples. There was lush green grass lined from the cement blocking the water to the sidewalk, but flowers grew better near the water so it smelled lovelier near the canal with the sakura and buttercups sprinkled like a meadow.
Taiyou saw his other friend, Nara Chiharu, seated on her favorite patch of soft grass. She was flagging him down to get him to come to her. Nara Chiharu was the daughter of Nara Shikamaru, who was the godfather of Uzumaki Taiyou, and Temari, who was the godmother of Uzumaki Taiyou. She was a beautiful girl much like Yuna, but she always competed with Yuna to gain Taiyou's attention and felt that she knew him better than anyone else did. In some cases, she didn't know anything about his situations; however, she did seem to know more than Yuna most of the time. She had dusty blonde hair that reached passed her shoulders and light brown eyes that made her practically irresistible, but she never liked being just a pretty face. She liked to fight, she liked be one of the guys to understand them better, and she liked to take naps from time to time. The one thing Chiharu couldn't dream of winning against though was Taiyou's smile, which she always admired, and she will stop at nothing to keep it on his face no matter what it cost her.
Chiharu moves over a bit then speaks to Taiyou in a nicer voice, "Did your mom or dad stop you on your way here?"
"Hiihaa," Taiyou says, shaking his head then sighing. "Dad's probably too busy and mom is probably out on a mission. I didn't see her anywhere in the house. How are your parents?"
"Mom's yelling at dad to go to the store right now, so she didn't even notice me when I came in the house. Dad just nodded at me as usual before I went to my tree house to get my stuff," Chiharu answered, annoyed at the image of her parents' quarreling. "Sometimes I wonder if I'm they're real daughter."
"You most definitely have Temari-sama's spunk, and you inherited Shikamaru-sensei's intelligence rather well too. You rock when it comes to academics," Taiyou compliments, smiling.
Chiharu blushes then pulls out a juice pack for herself and Taiyou. "Here, take one!"
"Hm?" Taiyou looks at Chiharu then at her hand holding out the beverage. "Hey, my favorite flavor! Arigatou!"
"Your welcome, You-kun," Chiharu answers gently.
Taiyou opens the top of the pack then bites down on the head of it. Chiharu leans on his shoulder, sucking on her juice while Taiyou is doing the same with his. Silence and the sounds of nature make everything more peaceful until a familiar voice stops the whole moment.
"Chiharu!" Yuna shouts, kicking Chiharu away from Taiyou.
"Ah, Yuna-chan! M-mat-matteyo!" Taiyou shouts, blocking Yuna from Chiharu. "We weren't doing anything! We were just drinking juice!"
"Oh," Yuna says, lowering her fighting stance. "Gomen ne, You-kun. Gomen ne, Chi-san."
"Geez, what is wrong between you two? I don't get it!" Taiyou grumbles, scratching either side of his head.
"Anou, You-kun?" Yuna asks. "I think I know what I should write for my poem."
"Really? Nane?" Taiyou asks, wanting to know.
"I can write a poem about how my mother and father fell in love with each other. I remember Ino-dono telling me and Shin-kun about how my mother and her used to fight over otou-san's affection, but they both ended up going their separate ways due to a really big mission that ended up failing miserably."
"That sounds like a great idea, Yuna-chan!" Taiyou shouts, supporting his friend. "Oi! Why don't we all do that? Everyone can write a historic piece about how their parents lived and why they are living the way they are today!"
"Sounds like a great idea!"
Taiyou, Yuna, and Chiharu look up to see Akira and Lei hanging upside down on a loose wire above the canal but under the bridge. They both flip down, landing on the water and using chakra to stand on it as if it were ground. Akira and Lei are the twin sons of Inuzuka Kiba. No one knows the mother of his children except himself, but he's made sure to raise them up properly in her honor. Apparently, the mother of Akira and Lei died from some form of viral infection, and it resulted in her death before their birth. Lady Tsunaide had to deliver them three months before their expected time, but she didn't know the twins were Kiba's boys.
"Then it's official. We all ask our parents what they remember about their lives when they were our age and no later until we analyze what should be written down for our projects, okay?" Taiyou asks, confident of the idea.
Everyone nods in agreement.
I thought that was lovely. Okay, just to clarify the Japanese phrases used in this chapter for some readers, I will explain them using examples and the like.
1.) Anou -- this means "uh" or "um"
Ex: "Anou, You - kun?"
2.) Daijoubuu -- this means "are you well" or "are you all right"
Ex: "Anou, daijoubuu?"
3.) Arigatou -- this means "thank you"
Ex: "Arigato, Yuna - chan."
4.) musuko -- this means "son"
Ex: "I'm Uzumaki-dono's musuko..."
5.) hiihaa -- this means "no"
6.) matteyo -- this means "wait a minute"
7.) nane -- this means "what?"
