The Boy in the Park

Chapter Eleven

Naruko's eyes widened like saucers.

He actually could see her thoughts going from watching him to watching her, and then back to him.

"Bull—"

"Naruko, language," he began calmly.

"Aniki!" Naruko whined, "I'm trying to be crass here!"

"Aniki?" Sakura said softly, before suddenly finding her voice again. "Why are you so familiar with my Onii-sama, uh!? Onii-sama!" she yelled then, looking at him, "What are you doing here? Did Naruko force you? You…"

"Enough, Sakura," he sighed. "You should go home, or you'll be late for dinner," he commented.

She bit her lip. "You're…not coming?"

"No."

"I see." The pink haired girl dashed off then. He supposed she had teary eyes. Maybe.

He sighed.

And that was when the accusing and incredibly narrow gaze of Naruko settled on his face —actually making him yelp and jump a seat away by the intensity of the stare. It seemed to be doing something like a 'chiii' sound as she stared at him, her cheeks filled with air and reddish from the effort.

"Naruko?"

"Your hair is dark and your eyes are red!" she exclaimed then. "You're not like Sakura at all!"

"Ah…" he chuckled. "I took my grandmother's eyes and my grandfather's hair," he replied hesitantly. The truth was different, but he didn't want to share his troubles with the rest of the world after all —and frankly, a lot of people had it worse than him.

"So…Sakura is your sister?" Naruko asked carefully. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"You never asked?"

Naruko actually thought about it for a moment, before nodding brightly. "Yeah! You're right!"

She then returned to her ramen bowl and for a few seconds, she seemed to have finished her arguments.

Then she exclaimed it loud too.

"SAKURA'S YOUR SISTER!? ANIKI! YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME! REALLY! I mean…you shouldn't have kept it hidden," she stammered out then, realizing people from the other side of the village actually heard her scream it.

"It's not important," he commented. "Really, let it go."

"Why?" her eyes blinked in confusion as Naruko scrunched her nose to try to think for a reason, "We could study together! Sakura's the first of the class!"

"And have you asked her before?" he remarked quietly.

"No," she shook her head. "She's always yelling at me because I'm closer to Sasuke, that bastard," Naruko snorted.

He ruffled her hair again —she made a high-pitched whine at that, bringing both of her hands up to protect her scalp. "You think she'd actually help you after this outburst of hers?"

"If you talk to her Aniki I'm sure she would!" the fact Naruko was actually convinced of it made her endearing, but it didn't change the fact that the most dialogue he had held with his sister…well, it had been on that precise day with her screaming.

And what could they talk about? With their age difference and what-not…and then again, she was a kunoichi and he was a civilian. He felt enough humiliated talking with his mother —better yet, 'listening to her rant'.

"Your ability to see only the good things in people is wonderful, Naruko," he exhaled. "But it doesn't work like that."

"Why not? It's stupid if it doesn't!"

He chuckled. "Yeah, I know…"

When dinner was done, he paid for the second and third 'consolatory' ramen bowl that Naruko had scarfed. He wondered where the girl burned all that energy to begin with. Then again, she did run around more than any other child he had seen before.

"Neh, Aniki?" Naruko asked as he walked her home —Academy student or not, it was late at night.

"Yes?" his hands went in his pockets as he looked up to the stars shining.

"If…If Sakura doesn't want…me as friend," she muttered, "Will you still be my Aniki?"

"Worrywart," he snorted, "When has Sakura mattered, Naruko? I'd be a piss-poor Aniki if I left my Imouto alone now, wouldn't I?"

The fact the girl didn't reply, but hugged him around his waist made him stop walking for a moment. Her face was pressed against the folds of his shirt, and she didn't seem keen at all about stopping the boa-constrictor worth hug any time soon.

"Hush," he said soothingly, caressing the girl's hair gently. "No crying, it doesn't suit you," he chuckled. "Well?"

Her head trembled just for a bit more, before she wiped away her tears quickly.

"Me? Crying? I'm not crying 'ttebayo! I just…there was something in my eyes, yes!"

"Of course," he replied. He waved her goodbye as he watched her enter her apartment, and then turned on his feet and headed off towards the house he lived in.

The next day, he received a call from the Hokage.

He nearly began to plan his escape from Konoha. Weren't two times enough to meet with the dictator of the ninja village? Did he really have to meet the man a third time, birthday excluded? He knew that birthday were 'safe-days' because he doubted the man would kill him during Naruko's birthdays.

He couldn't exclude this having something to do with Naruko to begin with.

In fact, the moment he stepped in the Hokage's office, he was met with the blond hair of Naruko on one side sitting on a stool —and sporting some nasty gashes on her face— and Sakura on the other side, her hair in disarray. On Sakura's side was his mother, holding her usual normal 'stone-like' face whenever he entered a room.

Well, he swallowed nervously as he stepped closer —naturally moving towards Naruko's side, because really…he couldn't stand the other one.

"Is something the problem, Hokage-sama?" he asked.

"Just you!" his mother spoke. "Filling the head of that brat and…argh, I don't know where I went wrong with you!"

All right, his mother was making a scene in front of the Hokage. Good, he was officially dead.

"Ahem," the Sandaime coughed. "There was a problem at the academy today," he said. "Since Naruko is a ward of the state, it is normally up to a teacher from the academy to take her defence, when I asked her who would be her guardian, she asked for you. Is that fine?"

He nodded, "Of course."

"Y-You!" his mother snapped incredulously.

He remained quiet as the Sandaime nodded.

"There was a…scuffle, today, during the usual fighting practice. Since it was a first offence, the academy sensei was lenient and let it be. Yet the moment he looked away, they began fighting once more. Since such behaviour is unbecoming of upstarting academy students, they were brought here to be admonished."

So a bully at the academy ended up talking to the Hokage? He actually rather understood why shinobi were tough: meeting the big boss early on…

"Clearly, the girl started it: she's a good for nothing prankster," Naruko's hands clenched on her jumpsuit's shorts. "And the fact she asked for you just goes a long way in proving it." His mother added stiffly, "Sakura is a top grade student: she'd never start a scuffle on her own: she clearly was provoked."

He exhaled as he gently dropped his hands on Naruko's shoulders, the trembling girl stilling for a moment. He saw the look of hurt on Sakura's face and that of disgust on his mother, but that didn't stop him from raising an eyebrow.

"Naruko? Can you tell me what happened?" he asked gently, ignoring the pit of nervousness in his stomach. He could defend her if she told the truth and she was innocent, but if she actually admitted having started it…well, he couldn't defend her then.

"Sakura said…she said I couldn't be your sister because we weren't family, and…and that I shouldn't call you Aniki. I…I told her it wasn't true. I told her she could…she could stuff it, but then they separated us and…and I know you don't want me to start any fights Aniki."

"Stop calling him that!" Sakura yelled, making Naruko wince.

He just raised an eyebrow and then turned to Naruko and nodded for her to continue. "So she began to hit me. I just tried pushing her back, really!"

"Who separated them?" he asked then, looking at the Hokage.

"Iruka Umino," the Hokage replied. "He did state Naruko was the one below Sakura, and as you can see…"

There was a clear disparity in the amount of wounds and scraps suffered after all.

"Naruko might be a prankster," he said slowly, looking at his mother. "But she's a good girl at heart, and she never pranks people who don't deserve it. She didn't start the scuffle. I'm sure of it."

"Onii-sama?" Sakura sniffled. "W-Why?"

He looked at his younger sister and replied. "I could ask you the same: why did you do this, Sakura? We never talk at home. It's been years since we last spoke. So why now? You're just jealous, Sakura." He shook his head, "Which is normal for a child I suppose."

"You!" his mother hissed. "Just you wait until…"

"Very well," the Sandaime exhaled slowly. "I hope this will not be repeated. I have far more important business and paperwork to deal with, and Haruno-kun here has work to do at the academy too."

He nodded and then gently pushed Naruko to follow him outside. "Come on," he said as he guided the girl out of there. "We'll have ramen after school is over," he said in a light tone as they left the Hokage tower.

"You shouldn't have done that, Aniki," Naruko muttered. "Won't your family hate you now?" she asked dejectedly as she looked at him with sad eyes. He blinked once, and then grabbed Naruko in a headlock and tousled her hair firmly and as fast as he could.

"EHI! Ehi! Aniki! Wait! Ehi!" she flailed and screamed as he simply kept it up for a while, before letting her go as the girl held on to her scalp while muttering 'ouch' and 'ow'.

"Better now?" he said to the girl who winced as she kept on passing her hands through her hair.

"Aniki!" she pouted, but then smiled. "Last to arrive to Ichiraku pays for the other 'ttebayo!" she exclaimed then, running ahead.

That would be the first time he'd be there defending Naruko from others…but it wouldn't be the last.