I own neither Naruto nor Watchmen.

Does anyone want to read my notes on my view of Konoha? It has maps and a detailed explanation of what is located in each district. It can be found in my liveournal here: http:// rinrabble . livejournal . com / 1526 . html (Just remove the spaces and you're set.)

Somewhere in between learning to set the fuse on an explosive tag and perfecting his chakra control, Walter picks up a hobby.

His mother's hands have always been shaky. Her alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine fixes alternately dulls down or increases the tremors, but never near enough to thread a needle – whereas Walter's hands are 'steady as a rock', according to a joyful Nelson-sensei, when the class learned lock picking.

The repair work on their clothes has always fallen to Walter, even before they came to Konoha. He started small. Little things, like reattaching a button that fell victim to one of Mrs. Kovacs' overenthusiastic clients, or mending a rip. Over the years Walter has learned to keep his stitches neat and small, how to hem something in for length, match colors exactly, or find a thread color complementary to the clothing if there is no exactly matching thread. He's learned about seams, and the flow and fit of a garment.

He doesn't usually talk to the neighbors, but when he sees Tanaka-san grousing over the rip in his shirt on the outside steps of the apartment, he can't help himself.

"I can fix that, sir." Walter says, gulping a little when Tanaka's dark gaze turns towards him. "If you want."

"Can you?" The neighbor wonders, a little sheepishly, and the academy student's fear melts away.

"Yessir." Walter hurries to get his sewing kit, and in ten minutes the shirt is repaired. The older ninja grins.

"Thanks a lot, kid." Tanaka fishes a few yen notes out of his hip pouch and presses them into the boy's hand, with an enthusiastic "I'll remember that skill of yours next time."

Walter doesn't count the money until he's safe in his room with the door closed. It's enough for one book at the store, maybe two if he picks through the bargain books.

Library books are all well and good, but as an academy student he has no clearance at all on the restricted stuff, even Genin level. If he wants to do well he needs an edge beyond being a jack-of-all-trades. Most students have allowances or parents to give them that edge. Walter does not. Book stores are the solution – the restrictions are far more lax when money is being moved around.

He hides his earnings under a loose floorboard until he has the time to shop.

When he goes back for the money, it's still there.

At Tatsuki's Books Walter finds a book on information gathering – it covers deception, surveillance, acting, and espionage. Most of his classmates focus on taijutsu and flashy ninjutsu, forgetting that ninja evolved out of spies. Walter doesn't. If he is to serve the Hidden Leaf, he will serve it well, and pay attention to every detail, see behind every facade, leave no path unexplored.

He paws through the bargain bin in the civilian section and finds a slim bound book titled Tailoring for Beginners. It's better than the books in the library, and comes with tissue-paper patterns for basic garments such as shirts, pants, jackets, and so on.

It's a wonderful feeling, buying something for himself with money he earned honestly.

Two weeks later Tanaka comes to him with damaged pants, and two more shirts. Walter works on them when he's not doing his homework or practicing at the nearest empty training ground. Again he is paid, and again the money goes under the floorboard.

Every few weeks Tanaka drops off something, and soon other tenants in the building are giving him work to do as well. As the money accumulates, Walter worries about his mother finding his stash.

During his weekly trip to the library, he asks Henna Kujikoto at the reference desk about what to do.

Walter has been a regular patron at the Konoha Flicker District ninja library ever since he entered the academy, and the librarian-nin there know him well. He's quiet and so serious, never trouble and they are all too aware of his home life. He likes them too, because they are useful and knowledgeable, and they are always willing to help. Walter considers them firm allies, battling ignorance with one heavy reference book at a time.

Henna smiles and suggests a bank account for when he becomes genin, but he won't be able to have an account of his own until then. Any earlier and he needs a guardian to sign for him. And therein lies his problem.

"Tell you what, Walter," Henna says, "Minna – who works the circulation desk - her husband works in financial services. Maybe he can pull a few strings and get someone accountable to sign as your guardian. Are there any teachers at school you trust?"

"I trust Nelson Gardner-sensei – from the Ninja Academy." Henna writes the name down.

"Nelson Gardner. O-kay. Why don't you ask him, and I'll get Minna to look into this?"

"Thank you." Walter says gratefully, and Henna just smiles.

"Anything for my favorite redheaded student. Here, have a Sugar Leaf." She hands him a piece of rock candy popular in Konoha, green, unflavored, and shaped like a birch leaf. Walter takes it with a faint smile, unwrapping the Sugar Leaf and popping it into his mouth. "By the way, that book of myths you wanted is in now, but Flare District has our copy of Meddling with Magic; the Rise of Bloodlines on loan still, so you might have to wait a week or more until it comes back…"

Walter listens to Henna natter on as he sucks on his candy, and when she's done, crunches the treat down, checks out the book he requested and heads for his favored training ground just between the outer borders of low-rent residential Flicker District and Sizzle District, which is named thus for housing most of Konoha's restaurants and bars.

A week later he returns to the Flicker District Library to check on the status of his requested book, do his homework, and talk with Henna, who lets him know that substituting his teacher for a guardian is a go, and gives him another wrapped Sugar Leaf.

Nelson-sensei himself seemed pleased to help, so all that's left is the paperwork, which the adults have told Walter he need not do much except sign his name. He doesn't understand why, thinks it's best to learn how to deal with these matters as he does everything else – on his own, taking care of himself.

Finally, a little security in his life. Walter has a bank account of his own, to keep his duly earned money safe and away from his mother.

Exams are due to start in three weeks. Walter might graduate and make genin in a year after that. Nelson-sensei and Henna have helped him come up with a plan to leave the apartment he shares with his mother, and start making a living on his own. He'll get the allowance from Konoha's Widows and Orphans Fund. His mother is no widow. It's Walter who will get the money, and Walter who will spend it, and spend it wisely, once he is free.

For once, the future is looking a bit brighter.

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