Blind Sight
By
LigerJager
Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto
Scroll 6: Comrade
Naruto swallowed. He didn't want to be here. He didn't want to be in this situation. He didn't want to have any witnesses to his failure and humiliations.
He couldn't believe that he'd just told Hyuuga Neji, of all people, that he'd been kicked out of his home. That he was a no longer considered a shinobi and friend to the leaf, rather a stain on their village that needed to be rid of.
With a sigh the boy deflated completely.
What was the use in putting up a front anyhow? He was blind, starving to the point of emaciation, filthy…
…and homeless.
That's where the real barb stuck.
He was being cast out of the only place that he'd ever known and sent into the unfeeling world to survive. He bet that they were counting on him not even making it through the first year alone.
An unwanted weapon.
Most villages would probably have killed to have him at their disposal and yet, he was practically helpless, but too powerful and too feared to be destroyed.
"What was that?" the Hyuuga had been saying something. The older boy sighed in exasperation before continuing.
"I was asking: What are you going to do now?"
A wave of annoyance flooded the blind boy. He had been on his own for almost fourteen years and now he had to answer to someone?
"Isn't it obvious? I'm going to grab some stuff and leave."
Neji, however, wasn't perturbed by the challenge. Having grown up in a home where the art of reading emotion was a prized discipline, it wasn't too hard for him to see that the blonde was covering up his uncertainty.
"How so? You can barely walk."
"I'll think of something."
The reply was shot back before the older boy barely ended. There was a hard edge to it that hadn't been there before. And yet, it was unnerving in that there seemed to be no life either.
The older teen did a quick sweep of the alleyway they were in. On one end was the busy street where various merchants and civilians were walking past. The noises of everyday life were floating towards them, warm and inviting.
"Here."
"Oi!! What are you doing?" it seemed some of the life seeped back into the blonde's demeanor.
"You're in no position to be asking me."
"Just answer the question teme."
"I'm carrying you." He cut off the blondes attempts to shake him off, "Now, where's your apartment."
Giving in, the blind jinchuuriki began rattling off directions to his small flat. And because of his handicap, he missed the rare sight of the stoic Hyuuga's eyebrows disappearing into his hairline.
The other boy was lighter than he'd anticipated. The slight weight distracted the Hyuuga as he swung the other boy up with relative easy and almost ended up hauling him over his shoulder completely. He was too light to be considered healthy. Even a weightless Lee, as wiry as he was, was definitely heavier by a good forty to fifty pounds.
"Why?" The question broke him out of his musings.
"Hnn?"
"Why are you doing this, Neji?"
There was a lost quality to the tone and more than a bit of confusion. It was as if he couldn't comprehend why anyone would lend him a hand. Again the genius was thrown for a loop as he struggled to answer.
"Like I said before, we're comrades, it's…what we do."
The blonde was silent from then on as the Hyuuga guided them through the back alley ways towards the blonde's apartment. Unsurprisingly, they were in the older parts of Konoha, somewhere between the residential districts and the seedier parts of the red lantern district.
Not the best housing that could be afforded, but better that what they assumed the lonely boy had lived in. And it was serviceable.
The walls, he noted, were grungy and had paint peeling. Bits of ceiling plaster, trash and other debris lined the sides of the halls. Graffiti lined the walls and the overall gloom of the place seemed to be completely at odds with the boy he knew…before his incarceration.
Had he so completely misread the jinchuuriki? How could someone so young learn to lie so well that even someone, who's trained in the art of reading people, was fooled? The blonde had the village completely taken in.
As soon as they reached the assumed floor where the blonde stayed, the genius pulled up to a halt abruptly and stared. Where the blonde's door should have been was nothing but charred remained and splinters.
Confused at the stop, the jinchuuriki reminded the genius of his presence. Instead of answering, the older boy stepped into the opening and made his way into what he assumed was the living room, but was forced to stop.
Charred ashes and burnt remains of what could have been furniture and other necessities. The boy took in the wreckage and was at a loss for words. What could the blonde have done to deserve such…persecution?
Naruto had been silent as soon as his ride continued forward. He knew something was wrong. There was the faint smell of smoke that lingered in the old decrepit halls
He had always been the subject if persecution, not always in the physical sense. He had never been cornered or beaten or something beastly along those lines, but neither was he acknowledged nor was he helped in any manner.
If violence was to take place, it was indeed to his worldly possessions and not to his person. Hence the decrepit state of his housing, the less than desirable function of his meager water and electric appliances, and the only serviceable clothing he wore.
Even to him, as the silence stretched on and the Hyuuga refused to put him down He knew, without a shadow of a doubt that something had happened to his apartment.
"Neji?"
"Let's go."
"But, my stuff?"
The Hyuuga stopped abruptly, causing one of his steps to come down hard on a bit of charcoal, causing a crunch to fill the air. After a brief pause as the other genin tried to decide how he was going to address the other boy, he made his way out the door.
At the sound the younger boy flinched. He knew, even before the other boy stated it, what had happened.
"There's nothing left to get."
Naruto just stared out into the blank nothingness. He knew that there was life all around him. He could hear it just fine. However, even the sounds of life were fading with the warmth of the sun. He had been there for a couple of hours being unable to decide what to do.
He had made it outside the gates and a good couple of miles down the road long before his allotted time slot was up. He had Neji to thank for that.
The boy had set him down by a crossroads before heading back towards the village. It wouldn't due for the genius to be caught outside the walls without permission.
Soon there was only the quiet emptiness of the space around him. Not event a breeze.
The jinchuuriki felt truly alone. It was just himself, the clothes on his back, a satchel of hastily gathered rations, and a staff.
And he had no where to go. The trees on either side of the paths added to the stillness of the air.
A twig snapped.
The blonde boy turned in the direction of the sound. He had a feeling that it was done on purpose as he was essentially helpless. And he could feel the weight of the person's eyes upon him as if they were measuring him.
He just waited. It wasn't that he wanted to run into someone this quickly and as it was a ninja village, could probably end his life in a heartbeat, it was just that he was essentially trapped. Save for the Bo staff that Neji had shoved in his hands to use as a walking stick, Naruto had nothing.
He couldn't do anything and he couldn't walk anywhere fast. He hadn't even had time to adjust to his blindness, to figure out how he would maneuver in his environment.
Perhaps this would be his end after all. The Kami knew he wanted it. That he deserved the peace he so craved at the moment.
So there he stood, waiting for the presence to make a move. As his own life was essentially over as he saw it, this made no difference. Heck, he'd even go with bastard's older brother if he offered again.
He jumped when a gravely whisper broke the silence. He really shouldn't have been so surprised.
"Uzumaki."
Something about the address was familiar or maybe it was the voice. Whatever it was, he couldn't seem to place a finger on it though.
Instead of answering, the orphan waited patiently. His heart was pounding so loudly he thought his ears would burst.
Something brushed across his cheek. On reflex, Naruto's hand swatted it away. But instead of a bug he felt small, hard grains of…rock?
Another noise came to his ears. A 'shshing' sound. As if something were sweeping across the hard surface of the ground.
However, before the blonde could contemplate as to why that sound was so familiar to him a hand landed on his shoulder, causing him to jump backwards and trip over his feet. He dropped his bags and stave as he flailed for some sort of support. Just when he thought he's impact the hard ground, something cushioned his fall.
…and lifted him up?
It also sifted and moved under his fingers and moved like…sand?
Then something clicked in the young teen's mind. There was only one person he knew of that controlled sand. Finally he spoke, breaking the tense silence.
"What are you doing here, Gaara?"
The chuunin stationed outside the Hokage's office were guarding the door like solemnly, the picture of dutiful shinobi. What isn't widely known or expected is that the said chuunin were bored stiff and often traded favors to get out of duty which, next to border I patrols and D-rank missions, was the most inglorious and boring assignment to ever be thought up.
They however, had there moments. Unfortunately most included the name Sarutobi Konohamaru and ended with pranks. And were usually included the same sentence.
Granted the newer recruits into the ranks weren't aware that over a decade before it was another boy who gave everyone a run for their money. And that he was frighteningly adept at reversing whatever situation he'd been caught in into another opportunity to cause mischief.
Any of the older generations, now well into their careers and some promoted, could and would reminisce how such actions had saved their hides on more than one occasion. The kid made life interesting and the posts around the Hokage's quarters weren't quite so despised. In fact if there was a rumor of the prankster pulling a prank, people would clamber at the chance to get the shift. After, what better way to get in some training than with one of the most infamous prankster that ever grace the village?
But with the blonde gone, life just seemed to go forward steadily. Even so, it seemed that the life of the place, that certain spark, just seemed to be missing.
The two chuunin on duty were, for the lack of a better term, bored out of their skulls. There was simply nothing to do and the Anbu couldn't be spared from their duties just to…'baby-sit' the Hokage. But protocol demanded and who were they to disobey?
And the shift would have seemed like any other if not for the fact that there was an unexpected visitor. Normally he wouldn't have even bothered going through he normal entrances, but there he was, waiting for them to move aside.
Of course neither wanted to move from their positions. The interrupting the Hokage was dangerous at best and excruciatingly painful at worst. And they weren't taking the rap for anyone, not even the Gama-Sannin. He could go dig his own grave, they were quite content as they were.
"Let me through, I have business with the Hokage."
"I'm sorry, but Hokage-sama is busy at the moment. You'll have to see the receptionist and schedule an appointment." The braver of the two guards spoke up before cringing under the glower sent his way.
"Do you know who I am?" not giving either guard a chance to reply, the old hermit continued ranting, "I have pertinent information for the Hokage and you deem yourselves worthy enough to stop me?"
"Sir, I'm under-"
"I don't care if the Daimyo showed up and threatened you with treason. You will let me in."
"I'm sorry sir, but that will quite impossible."
"Let me through, damn it!"
"Our orders-"
The door to the office slammed open cutting off the guard and causing all three to jump. A red faced Hokage fumed with her eyebrow ticking dangerously.
"Will you all just SHUT UP!!"
Three stunned expressions stared at the woman. She hadn't been that emotional since she took office. In fact it was a bit frightening. Jiraiya, recovering first, decided to take the lead. He did, after all, have some important business with the Hokage anyways.
"Well, happy to see you too, Hime."
"Well I'm not. Why are you harassing my guards?"
"I have the reports you wanted," the hermit pushed on, ignoring the question, "And some information you would find interesting."
"Uh huh, and what would you have that would be of interest to me? I'm not posing for your Icha Icha centerfold."
"As amusing as that would be, I believe news of Suna's stance on your successor and future relations with other villages would be slightly higher on my list of priorities."
This caused the Hokage to pause. It seemed she wasn't the only one interested in Konoha's Hokage candidate. And if what Jiraiya was implying was true, than politics as they knew it would forever be changed…and not necessarily for the better.
"Fine." She opened the door wider, "In."
Not one to keep a lady waiting, the Gama Sannin strode in. The Hokage eyed her nervously sweating guards.
"No one is to disturb us for any reason, am I clear."
"Hai Hokage-sama." Both snapped to attention.
"Good." She turned to close the door, pausing a bit before issuing one final command, "One of you get me some sake, we're gonna be in here a while." The door snapped shut leaving two miserable looking nin to bemoan their fates.
"Hai, Hokage-sama."
:Tsudzuku:
A/N: I had to fight with my muse on this one. Annoying, troublesome….
What to do, what to do…
But I'm sure you know what to do, hmm?
Until next time.
LJ 1/19/2009