Disclaimer: I think that the writers for Naruto were disgusted when I went all Van gogh on them and sent in my ear to prove my love of the show in hopes of them giving it to me, because I just got news that they filed a restraining order.
Warning: This chapter contains crappy poetry that some readers may find offensive.
Chapter Recap:
He rose from his position in the mud and attempted a reach for the door, making it act as a cane when he propelled himself into the kitchen and limped toward the stairs. How his body hurt. Every slight turn or flex of the limbs caused him to grunt in pain.
Naruto was amazed that he got up to his room. Fatigue overtook him as he stripped out of his wet uniform, and placed on some city clothes. His wardrobe wasn't large, but that didn't bother him like it would other kids his age. With his eyes half lidded he closed his eyes and fell into a dreamless sleep, as per usual. Mizuki had won again. The puppet master was still in control. The dog was still a dog in the eyes of his master. And the frightened mouse was still in the clutched talons of the eagle. As per usual.
Behind This Mask
Chapter 7: What load?
Naruto awoke from his dreamless sleep and he glanced at his clock to see that he had at least two more hours before he needed to be up. He rested his arm on his forehead and gasped as it brushed against the gash just above his eyebrow. The memory of yesterday's events went through his head. As the memory made its appearance, so did the pain. Naruto placed his hand over his chest and lifted the collar of his shirt. The formations of his bruises were steadily changing from a light purple to a mixture of a light yellow-green and violet.
He pushed himself off of his bed, more sleep being a distant thought as he made his way to the bathroom. His head ached, his muscles screamed in pain and his entire body felt as though it was on fire. This wasn't all that bad considering what could have happened, thankfully Mizuki showed a little mercy and forgave his mistakes. Mistakes. Mistakes. That is all Naruto ever makes. It is the epitome of Naruto.
He gently pulled off his shirt and glanced at his body. Excluding the permanent scars on his chest, the bruises were the most noticeable things dressing his torso like an undershirt. There were quite a few cuts on his body as well, some still bleeding, some may have stopped in the middle of the night, but there were fairly evident. The crimson was as easy to spot on his body as a black dot on a white sheet of paper. He removed the bandages on his ribs and lightly brushed a hand over them and smiled. They were already beginning to heal. Naruto had a habit of healing fairly fast.
That, he believed was how he got the name Kyuubi from Mizuki. Kyuubi was an infamous burglar who would, after he stole something, leave a miniature hand carved statue of a fox with nine tails. As cliché as the gesture is, this wasn't what caught the publics' attention. It was the fact that no matter what, even when wounded by police, he would still return to stealing the very next day. The best part was that he was never caught. Despite his love of the legal system, Naruto could not help but respect such a feat. Had his father been alive at the time, he would definitely been behind bars. It has been about a year or so since his last appearance, but a five-year crime spree was rather impressive.
He chuckled at his thoughts as he stepped into the shower and washed himself vigorously. Washing off any blood at all, but going gently over the bruises and hopped out. He grabbed his spare uniform and dressed himself, avoiding the mirror this time as he began to think about how his once peach-tan skin was discolored in areas. His arms were tanner then his body because of his regulation short-sleeved shirt. It made him look funny, as if he were put together like a ransom note, from different parts.
He made his routine way toward and down the stairs. He looked around and did not see Mizuki. To avoid yesterdays' little escapade, he didn't dawdle and grabbed his book bag, which he purposefully left on the floor this time, and stepped out of the house. He looked up remembering how early he left; it was still slightly dark outside. The moon still hung proudly in the air, waiting for the sun to switch shifts with him and move to the other hemisphere where people were giving there 'Goodnights' to one another. He began his walk to school on the empty streets.
He made his way to the school building in under an hour, with plenty of time before any students would really be there. He stomach rumbled as if to make its' self noticed. He gently touched his stomach and reached into his bag. Surely there was some source of food in his bag. Usually Naruto would stock up on granola bars just for incidents where he was not in the position to eat, such as this one.
Surely enough he withdrew one and ate it hungrily as he made his way to the building. As long as you claim to be meeting a teacher for an early lesson, Naruto learned that you can bypass the custodians rather easily. And with said claim to the janitor's questioning, Naruto was in the building and swiftly making his way down the hall. He knew exactly where he was going and which turns to make as he steadily made his way to the double doors that signified peace. He opened them revealing a large Grand Piano and risers. This choir room was ironically quite this early in the morning, and Naruto loved it. The custodians didn't really make their trips here because it was at the other end of the building, and the choir teacher herself did not have a class first period so she was free to show up late.
He eagerly walked to the piano, his wounds a distant thought at the sight of the beautiful instrument. Sitting on the bench, he lifted up the cover and revealed all of the keys. Breathing in slightly he played a simple chord and relished in the beautiful echo that resounded as he gingerly placed his foot on the pedal. He began to improvise as he poured his soul into the music. Every note matching his inner turmoil, the staccato showing his fury and legato his shame. As the beautiful music was personified with the pedal Naruto began to think up lyrics, which after some thought seemed worth writing down.
My smiles are false, a lie, a ruse.
It's all just a hoax, a mask that I use.
The way I portray, the things that I say
Comes from my mask of which I display.
When I am questioned, I give an excuse.
Through wide grinned smiles, I hide my abuse.
Preposterous it is, to open the heart
Inevitably it is, to soon fall apart.
My unshed tears hide behind blue eyes that are lit.
My dark thoughts behind a mask with a perfect fit.
A smile says you're happy, they simply decree.
If smiles did the talking, mine would say 'help me.'
He laughed at his little poem. And began playing the accompaniment with the grace of a professional, which in all honesty Naruto pretty much was. He had been playing since before his father's death, and somehow found solace in the fact that it was his escape. He was, of course, snapped out of his reverie when he heard a loud intruding knock at the door of the choir room.
Snapping his head up in a guilty gesture, Naruto was both relieved and perplexed at the sight of Hinata Hyuuga standing at the doorway looking rather flushed. He cocked his head to the side in a universal gesture meaning 'What the heck'. Taking note of this Hinata seemed to take a step forward and attempt to speak.
"Ano, Naruto-Kun?" She said in a tone that signified it as more of a question that an announcement of his presence.
"Yes Hinata-San?" Naruto asked, mentally noting her posture that practically leaked with discomfort. After a moment of hesitation, Naruto decided to strike up the conversation.
"What 'cha need?" He asked with a polite and patient smile gracing his features.
"Well..." She started and stopped, as though she couldn't build the confidence to finish the words. He just gave her a reassuring nod to continue.
"I was supposed to meet Iruka-sensei early today to catch up with the class, but I got turned around along the way and I thought that it would be impolite to ask a custodian because they all seemed so busy. So when I heard someone playing so beautifully on the piano I decided to come here and ask in hopes that that they would lead me there." She finished with a little gasp of breath.
Naruto, put in technical terms, was jaw-dropped. The fact that she had spoken so much was only second on his list of shock, being just below the fact that she had said that all in one breath. Seeing his state of shock made Hinata blush. Which made him quickly change demeanors. Which in all honesty he found odd, usually he didn't care what girls thought of him. It was probably because she was a new student and there was only one chance to make a good first impression, and she seemed nice enough to be polite to.
"R-right." He said while looking around as if the walls would somehow direct his train of thought back onto its tracks.
"Well, you are definitely lost. Iruka-sensei's room is way on the other end of the building." He said waving his hand in the general direction that he was trying to indicate through his speech. She looked around in slight confusion.
"Ano, w-well…" She started before Naruto's mental train crossed through fields of idiocy to get back on the tracks.
"That's right. You're new. Well, I guess I can just lead you there." He said, finally getting up and grabbing his bag and 'song'. He waited at the door for a moment for her to catch up with his, despite his injuries, swift movements.
Hinata silently walked beside Naruto as they made their way down the hall. He heard her sigh and looked at her, only to find her looking at him with determination in her moon-colored eyes.
"Naruto-Kun. If you don't mind my asking," She started. Naruto sighed inwardly. Here come the questions of why the other students don't like him. Why he is shunned from everyone as though he were a plague. And worst of all, here come the answers to those questions. No point in lying, she would find out anyway. Well, it was nice to have one person that didn't hate him, for however brief a time.
"Since you know about me from yesterday in class, would you mind describing yourself?" She asked, her adorable idiosyncrasy kicking in, as she began to tap the tips of her fingers together. Wait, adorable? He just met the girl and was already using such a word to describe her. He must have hit his head harder then he thought yesterday. It did take a moment for Naruto to process the harmless question that was, needless to say, not the question he was waiting for. Well, if she is that curious.
"Hmm. Well. The easiest way I can describe is by a metaphor." Naruto began with a moment of thought. Hinata looked at him with eyes not clouded with judgement, as Naruto started up again.
"There are two mules. One with hardly anything on its back at all, and the Prospector's mule, which is loaded with various amounts of heavy items. The shear weight of the entire material causing the Prospector's mule's back to form an uncomfortable looking 'U' shape. When the other mule sees the load the prospector's mule is carrying, he says, 'That's some load you got there.' To which the Prospector's mule replies, 'What load?'" He finishes with a glance at Hinata, who looked as though she were trying to process and find meaning in Naruto's words, but came up empty-handed.
"I'm not sure that I understand. Which one are you?" She asked with curiosity in her eyes.
"And that," He begins with a smirk. "Is the point of the metaphor. To keep ya guessing." Naruto said, loosing all of his dramatic seriousness.
He began to think about his words as they walked on in silence. The metaphor easily describing him and what he dealt with. With his home and school life as his baggage he could almost feel his back forming into the 'U' shape that would match the mule of the Prospector. Mizuki's torturous ways, the beating, the mental strain, all this would seem like quite a load to any other mule, but not Naruto. What load?
He quieted his thoughts and looked around, and stopped abruptly. This action caused Hinata, who had began to lag slightly behind, to crash into him and look at him with question.
"Um, yeah, I think we passed the classroom." He chuckled and rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. Hinata looked around as though she expected a sign to pop up and read 'yeah, you just missed it. He's not lying."
He went a couple of doors back and silently slid the door open to reveal an empty room.
"He might be looking for me." Hinata reasoned in her quiet voice. Naruto nodded to indicate that he heard her. He glanced at his hand and realized he was still holding the paper with his song on it. The words Behind This Mask written in neat letters on the paper. When Hinata turned her back, Naruto quickly chucked it into the empty garbage can beside Iruka-sensei's desk. Why did he even bother writing that? It just managed to help him vent a little. Just as he began to take his walk back to Hinata, Iruka-sensei walked into the room looking slightly frazzled.
"There you are, I was getting worried." He said as he laid eyes on Hinata.
"Sorry to trouble you." She apologized. Naruto blinked in slight confusion. What was she apologizing for? Being new and getting lost in a rather large building? How odd.
"No need to apologize." He said glancing over and finally noticing Naruto and giving him the universal 'What the heck' gesture.
"Yeah, she got lost and found me and asked me to help her. So I'll just be leaving now." He said, making his exit before Iruka had to opportunity to ask why he was here so early.
(With Iruka and Hinata)
"So this is the material that you will need to go over in order to catch up with the rest of the class." He said, handing her a thin book that described their current subject.
"T-this is all?" She asked in shy amazement at her own boldness as to question the sensei.
"Yes. Let's be honest. The other things that we went over…" He began to lean in as though he were leaking important information that could be penalized with death if found out. "You will NEVER use." He finished, emphasizing 'never' to get his point across. He grin reassured her as she looked at him in worry. With the book that she needed, she too made her exit. Iruka watched her leave as his eye caught something in the trash.
'I thought that the custodians already came by.' He thought to himself. His interest piqued, he reached in and grabbed the paper and read through it.
He could already tell it was Naruto's handwriting, spending a year or so with kid's and you begin to be able to differentiate between handwriting. The fact that Naruto had written this is what worried him, the meaning of the words on the paper practically slapped him.
'No way this is really Naruto' He wanted to think. Yet something about the morbidity and the darkness lead him on another path, one that answered questions he had had for Naruto for quite some time. He stood up and exited the room so fast that his chair was left spinning at the sudden movement. He had to show this to someone. Someone that would be able to explain why a young happy-looking child would write something so dark. Iruka almost felt as though he was intruding on Naruto, as if he had ripped a page of Naruto's journal and was about to expose it to the world.
The need to be a good teacher fought tenaciously and won in the end as he found himself opening a door down the hallway from his own and seeing Kakashi looking at him with a tiny book posed in his hands.
(Back with Naruto)
Naruto couldn't shake himself of what he had told Hinata. It was deeply personal, and yet he told her. Why? He couldn't really think of a good reason, but it had felt good to tell her a little about himself. He looked out the window and saw students beginning to file into the school from different directions. School was gonna start soon. That means more of Kiba, Sasuke, and the others. More of their crap. Just more and more baggage. Naruto could handle this; he was just like the Prospector's mule. 'What load?'
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Author's Note:
Yes, I am well aware that I am very flaky when it comes to updating, and it probobly really bothers those few who like this story. Yet I have no really good excuse other than this one word. Summer. I can't spend it inside all day typing. I'm active and, I've got to move around constantly. I get RLS (Restless leg syndrome) if I sit around for too long. Pety excuse I know, but at least I updated. R&R.
