We stop at a building next to what I suppose is the Kage's office. Naruto bursts the door open. "Hinata-chan, I'm back!" the loud man announces as he walks into his home. I stand at the doorway, gazing in. I suddenly feel unwelcome here, with these people who seem so carefree, unlike my life.
The timid woman with the white eyes walks into the room, a stirrer in hand. "N-Naruto-kun, just in time, dinner's almost ready," she states.
Naruto grins. "I hope you don't mind I brought a guest," he turns to me, "Come on in, don't be shy."
I cautiously walk in. I look at the pictures on the walls as Naruto talks to his wife, Hinata, was that her name? I see a family photo, with the boy from earlier and his father grinning with their teeth shining, and the wife with a small smile, content with her position, Naruto's arm around her shoulder. His hand was placed on his son's blonde locks affectionately.
My family has no group photos. Sure, Kaasan takes a lot of us after or during certain acts, but never with all seven of us, since Tousan isn't around. Yes, my family is dysfunctional, it truly is. I don't even know what it means to be a real family. To go out on family outings, or even just talk and laugh together, it is surreal to me. My mother has tried to make our lives as normal as possible, but it can't be that way, because none of us are normal.
"Is that okay with you?" Naruto's sudden voice lurks me out of my thoughts.
I turn around and blink sheepishly.
Naruto chuckles. "Did you hear to a word I said?" he questions with a grin. He grins way too much; it's kind of scary.
I shake my head and feel heat rise to my cheeks. "Gomen," I mutter.
The blonde just replies with, "Don't worry about it. I was just asking if you wanted ramen, it's my favorite."
"I don't care," I state as my eyes fall to the ground.
Hinata nods timidly and walks to the kitchen, leaving Naruto and myself in the room.
"Can I ask you something?" Naruto suddenly questions me in a soft tone.
I look up at him and nod.
"What…what exactly does your father do on those missions you've told me about?" the Hokage questions hesitantly.
I think for a moment. "To tell you the truth, I don't really know myself. He'd never talk about it around me or any of my siblings," I replied honestly, my eyes shadowed by my bangs.
"Oh. I see," Naruto says, his voice dropping in tone.
"But I do know one thing," I look up again as I say this.
Naruto raises an eyebrow. "And what is that?"
"Tousan, he works for Orochimaru. That's who I've always been told was the leader of Oto, but you have said he was dead, correct?" I continue.
"That is right. He was killed almost nine years ago by my hands. It took us forever to find him, but we did eventually, in his lair," Naruto implies reminiscing.
A thought struck me. "Did you not see either of my parents?" I ask.
Naruto's face falls. He shakes his head. "I looked everywhere in that place, but I couldn't find them anywhere," he replies, then on an attempt to lighten the mood he adds, "I would've spotted Sakura-chan a mile away if they had been there, with her complex hair color."
"Which I thank Kami I don't have," I say. It's true, I would've committed suicide years ago if I had such a curse as pink hair.
Naruto laughs. "Now that'd be interesting to see," he states. Then his face turns serious again. "If you don't mind, can I ask you another question? I'm sorry it's just, I need to know."
"I understand. Go ahead," I tell him.
"Does anyone know that you're here?" Naruto asks glancing at the window.
"No. I told my mother I was going on a mission," I answer. "She's probably found out that I've lied by now."
Naruto glances at me. "What makes you say that?"
"Well, once I don't show up for training tomorrow with Tayuya-sensei she'll come over to my house, asking where I was. Then, Kaasan will find out there really was no mission. Either that or she's frantically looking for Sakuke, because Kaasan would have caught on that quick. I didn't plan for her to find out, but I wasn't exactly intending on staying here this long nor did I figure Sakuke was going to follow me," I explain. "I don't think she'll look here though, because she doesn't know I have the knowledge that this place even exists."
Naruto scratches his head. "That is a problem," he says, "maybe…."
Before he can finish his sentence Hinata announces that dinner is ready.
Naruto whoops and runs to the kitchen.
I sweatdrop. I'm never going to understand this guy.
After dinner, I take a walk around Konoha, claiming I needed some fresh air, which I did. Naruto was hesitant to let me go at first, but he eventually let me. I sit on a rock in the forest. I had always had wanted to know the unsolved mystery of my parents' past, yet here I am, in the place where they grew up, yet everything is still so unclear to me.
My mother left here because she was blindly in love with Tousan, but why'd he leave in the first place? Why did Kaasan have parents, yet Tousan had none at all? What happened to them? If Orochimaru was dead, why did we still refer to him as master? If Tousan had no one to serve under, why wasn't he home?
Why didn't my parents come back if he was dead? Why'd they keep it a secret?
I ran a hand through my hair uneasily. It was all so confusing. Too confusing for me to figure out on my own. I swirl a kunai in my hand. These were one of the times I wish my family wasn't one of ninjas. If we weren't, we could have a normal life. We'd be able to do normal things…we, a voice brought me out of my reverie.
"Seiko?" The voice was soft, and familiar. My blood ran cold. Too familiar. Oh Kami, this is not good, not good at all.
I look up at the figure in front of me, her eyes full of tears.
"K-Kaasan?" I sputter. Kuso, this is not my day.
This took me forever, and for that I deeply apologize! I'm so sorry! Please forgive me! Until next time, remember to review
sasuke fanatic1