The Boy in the Park

Chapter Twenty-Five

"Crap, I'm late!" Naruko's scream woke him up, as he blinked and realized the girl was still in his apartment. He yawned and stretched, before looking with an amused look at Naruko fretting about with water and preparing herself a cup of instant ramen for breakfast. "Going to be late, late!" she hurriedly ate, before dashing to leave.

"Naruko!" she stilled in mid-movement, looking back at him.

"Your equipment is in your apartment," he pointed out. "And…" he moved closer, before giving a tight hug to the girl. "I believe in you, so ace the exam all right?"

Naruko actually let out steam from her ears, as she turned red. He raised an eyebrow at such a display but said nothing as the girl blurred out of sight and through the hole. He smiled wistfully as he opened the door of his apartment, just in time to see Naruko dash out of hers, stop in mid-run and then turn around to charge at him.

She grabbed him by the jacket he wore, pulling him down before giving him a light kiss on the cheek.

"I'm going to become Chuunin in no time, Aniki! Dattebayo!" and then she dashed off once more.

He chuckled. Well, he had the day off because the academy was being used as the site of the exam, and then he knew that for five days at least, he wouldn't be seeing Naruko at all —the second part lasted five days apparently.

So he re-entered his apartment, and went back to sleep.

There was a soft knock at his door. He sighed, stretched and went over to open it, looking at the clock in the meantime. One minute had barely passed —had Naruko come back already?

He opened the door and then stilled.

"Sloppy as usual."

He gritted his teeth.

"Hello, Mebuki-san."

"You are not going to invite me in?"

"Sorry, but I am not," he replied. "What is it, now?"

"Sakura is participating in the Chuunin exams, and I remember them from my days," the woman added slowly. "Since, apparently, you have some form of stupid belief that the dead last of the class will not hinder your sister, I'd like to know what makes you think that."

"If you've come here only to insult Naruko…"

"No, I've come here to ask you: what makes you believe she won't weight down her team? The last of the Uchiha was the rookie of the year, and Sakura the prime kunoichi of her class. Where does your trust stem from? She failed her exams thrice for Kami's sake; the Hokage shouldn't even have let her graduate!"

At that outburst, his eyes grew colder.

"I understand you're worried about Sakura, but Naruko isn't the dead last any longer, and I trust her…because someone has to."

"Listen to yourself! You're just taking this as a duty! Do you think this is going to make you special somewhat? That girl, she's going to grow and forget about you. She's going to discard you once she gets what she wants, you know that demons…"

He closed the door in her face.

She slammed it down, making him move backwards to avoid the falling debris. "I'm not done talking!"

"No, but I am," he hissed curtly.

"You don't get a say in the matter!" she barked back. "Sakura's going to risk her life and…"

"And you were the one who sent her to the Academy!" he accused her.

"Only because she wanted to follow your dream of becoming a shinobi!" Mebuki barked back.

"She clearly didn't state it as such," he retorted.

"A mother knows these things!"

"Yeah, right!" he snorted. "So you've come here to insult Naruko and tell me how it's my fault Sakura's taking a dangerous exam?"

"YES!"

He stared at her in disbelief. "Leave."

"I won't! You still haven't answered me! What if Sakura dies because of the demon brat?"

"NARUKO. IS. NOT. A. DEMON!" he roared back at her, advancing in close to try to cajole her to get out. The next moment he tasted the ground as his mother had pinned him down. He could feel the blood coming down from a crack on his lips, as he tried to free himself from the steel-like grip.

"She's a demon, and probably she'll come out of the exam unscathed. Kami only knows how she'll manage. I'm not going to bury my only child because of her!"

There. That hurt.

"Of course," he muttered. "So what do you want?" he choked out as he felt the pressure on his arm increase. Did she want to snap it clean?

"I want to know my daughter is not going to die because of your pet demon, that's what I want to know."

He snarled at that, trying to get free once more.

Then, it happened.

There was a snap, and he howled in pain.

Mebuki actually let go then, getting back up and looking at him shocked as he cradled his broken arm. She looked genuinely scared and worried for him, but now…now it was simply too late.

"Get. Out." He hissed between tears. "Get out of here and never come back!"

He felt so powerless, and the broken arm didn't help.

"I…Maybe the hospital—"

"GET OUT OF HERE!" he yelled at her, making her take a step backwards.

"Look, I'm…"

"GET. OUT!" he roared at her one last time, clutching the broken arm and hissing.

Mebuki looked at him as she slowly walked away, before disappearing in a flicker out of his apartment. He sobbed. He began to cry as he clutched on to his broken limb.

Life wasn't fair, but what he done to deserve this?

He didn't ask to be born as a civilian. He didn't ask to be left behind. He didn't ask to suffer through this.

He didn't ask for Haruno Mebuki to take him in, orphan as he was after the Kyuubi's attack.

He didn't ask for any of that…so why did he have to suffer so?

He slowly stood up on wobbling legs, and then ground his teeth. With his working hand, he moved to where the first aid kit was. The break was clean, and as a teacher he had been taught the basics of first aid and bone setting —ninja academy, ninja kids, ninja wounds.

He had to get his arm still before walking towards the hospital. He ground his teeth as he grabbed onto the gauze, letting it pass behind his neck before biting down on a napkin.

Within moments, he lifted his broken arm with a choked out noise of pain and dropped it once more on the impromptu hoister.

He walked out of his apartment. The hospital wasn't too far…just half an hour of walking.

He should call them, get an Ambulance of sorts but…

However, they'd ask questions on the broken door. He closed his eyes for a moment. This was the last favour he did to his mother…no, to Mebuki Haruno.

Beneath the sharp blue sky…he trudged on.