Chapter 6
June 7, 2004
Naruto is sixteen. He buys his own clothing now. Often he buys food, too. The welfare check covers the rent and the booze, and not much else.
Two years ago, Naruto started working a few hours after school and on the weekends at the Leaf Nursing Home.
Now he works full-time for the summer.
The office staff and the other aids at Leaf Home like Naruto, especially during school holidays, because he'll pick up anybody's shift, day or night, so they can take a last minute sick day or vacation. Naruto needs the money and they know it.
He's determined to go to college.
Five days a week or more, Naruto puts on his hospital shrubs and takes a bus to the nursing home. He likes old people. They don't sleep soundly.
Naruto and Ino are still friends and next-door neighbors. They spend a lot of time at Naruto's house, waiting for Naruto's mother to pass in her bedroom before they watch movies and talk about boys. They talk about other things too, like why Ino's father is so angry all the time, and why Ino's mother doesn't like company. Mostly, Naruto thinks, it's just because they're grouchy people. Plain and simple. Whenever Ino asks if she can have a sleep over, her mother says, "You just had a sleepover on your birthday. Ino doesn't bother to remind her that that was four years ago.
Naruto thinks about Choji and wonders if Ino really is an only child. But Ino doesn't seem to talk about anything with sharp edges. Maybe she's afraid they might poke into her and then she'd burst.
Ino and Sakura are also still friends. Sakura's parents are still rich. Sakura plays tennis. She is a cheerleader. Her parents have condos in Fire Country, Earth Island, Earth Country, and somewhere in Cloud Country. Sakura mostly hangs out with other rich kids. And then there's Ino.
Naruto doesn't mind being with Sakura. Sakura still can't stand Naruto. Naruto thinks he knows the real reason why and it doesn't have anything to do with having money.