The Boy in the Park
Chapter Twenty-Eight
"So…Ibiki?" Anko smiled sweetly as she looked over the head of the Torture and Interrogation department. "Who did it?"
Ibiki began to sweat.
"Who did what?"
"Who broke the arm?"
"I don't follow…"
Strangely, Ibiki felt extremely compelling looking over to the coffee machine.
"Come on…I know you have an idea…just tell me, I promise whoever it was of the department I'll go soft on them."
"No snake summoning?"
"None," Anko promised. "Konoha scout promise!"
"You weren't in the Konoha scouts," Ibiki deadpanned.
"Just tell me, pretty please? I fought off the big bad bastard…you'll tell me, right? I need to distract myself…"
"The subject arrived in the hospital at a quarter past nine, his version was that of a broken arm. Backtracking and crosschecking with the Anbu assigned to safeguarding Naruko —that thus followed the girl when she left— this," he said handing her over a scroll, "is the list of people who went in the opposite direction. We used the mind recollection technique to get the information out, and I actually called in a favour Inoichi owned me."
Anko smiled. "I knew I could count on you, Ibiki!
She began to read with a bright and happy smile, before frowning and then looking back sharply at Ibiki.
Ibiki held the gaze for a moment more, keeping his demeanour as calm as possible. "Hide the needle in the haystack of the neighbour," Anko growled. "You taught me that trick. So, where's the real list?"
"There isn't one," he sighed.
"So you know who did it," Anko accused him. "Why aren't you telling me the name, huh?" she suddenly blinked. "It wasn't the brat, was it? No, because if you tell me it was the Ky—"
"No!" Ibiki hurriedly said. "No, nothing of the sort. Look Anko, he doesn't want to press charges. It's water under the bridge…really."
Anko pointed an accusing finger at Ibiki. "I'm deciding that, understood?"
"Why? He left you, didn't he?" Ibiki asked back, crossing his arms over his chest.
"He thanked me," Anko muttered. "The only other guys who ever do it are you folks of the department, when I crack a tough nut or bring extra dango to the guys doing the night shift. He wasn't obligated to. He did it anyway; heck…he even thanked Duckbutt-Uchiha."
Ibiki's eyebrows rose. "Duckbutt-Uchiha?"
"The brat knows her nicknames," Anko admitted. "Back to us however…the name."
"Listen Anko, we both know you won't stop at something bland, and there are laws in effect…"
"The. Name."
Ibiki exhaled, and then tightened his lips.
"You aren't playing the tortured shinobi, Ibiki!" Anko growled. "Give me the name damn it!"
Ibiki remained quiet.
"Fine," Anko growled. "Then I'll get it straight from the source," the purple haired kunoichi said with a smirk. "See ya!"
Ibiki watched her leave and sighed. Well, at least it wasn't his problem any longer.
Naruko was worried. Of course, she wasn't worried for the exam —or the fact her sensei had decided she'd train with a young pervert, who then had become an older pervert. No, Naruko was worried for her Aniki. She knew her Aniki always smiled, and most of the time he kept on smiling even when things went tough.
She wasn't stupid. She knew he sometimes worked off-hours in the middle of the night to make end meets when he didn't have enough money for the bills, and she knew that when his bills were high it generally was also her fault. She also knew that every time she forced him to accept her share, he just placed it in a jar beneath the sink and left it at that.
Her aniki was kind like that, so it had hurt to see him cry.
She wanted to know why, but while Sakura worked on one choice —her mother— she needed to find out about the red-eyed woman. She knew her name was 'Kurenai' but more than that…
"Hinata?" she asked in the middle of the street. The next instant Hinata popped out from an alleyway, as silent as a cat. Naruko sweat-dropped. She hadn't really expected the girl to be following her. "Can you find someone for me?"
"Y-Yes Naruko-chan!"
Hinata was extremely pumped up —that was good, she would need it by the time they found out if that woman was to blame...because if she was, oh, Naruko had a few pranks involving itching powder in unmentionables spots.
"She's a red haired woman, with raven hair. She wears some sort of white thing with bandages, and her name's Kurenai."
Hinata blinked.
"You mean…my sensei?"
Naruko blinked back.
"Your sensei? Good! That's good! Do you know where she lives!?"
Hinata hesitantly nodded.
"Well then, let's go Hinata!"
"W-Why are you looking for her, Naruko-chan?"
"I need to ask her sum'thing," Naruko remarked humming to herself. If Hinata's sensei was the reason her Aniki had cried, she was going to start with itching powder, move her way up to rattlesnakes, and then in between throw a few can of paints to seal the deal. Considering her dress was made to resemble bandages…maybe she could get some water on it?
Or cover it in salt or sugar…
Sugar for the ants or salt for the itchiness…
Decisions…
Hinata watched Naruko hum happily, and smiled briefly. She actually wondered what the girl she admired wanted with her sensei. Maybe to ask for tips?
Sakura Haruno was not having a good day. Her mother refused to tell her if she had somewhat said something to her Aniki, but she knew it had to do something with 'Yuhi-san' to begin with. Since she could get nothing out of her mother so soon once more, she decided to let it rest for the day. Still, when she was worried or angered, she always returned to the photo albums.
Sakura slowly opened the album of pictures she had taken from the attic, and began to look through them.
She had to say it to herself: she was a pretty baby, what with her tuft of pink hair and her green eyes. Her older brother was in one photo, holding her carefully and scared he might drop her. The next photo always melted her heart, because it was the one in which Onii-sama played with her.
He had never acted like her classmates' older brothers, not much anyway. She remembered his kindness in taking her to the park when their parents were busy working. When she cried, he was the first to come and see what was wrong.
She flipped another page, and nearly choked. Her Onii-sama was dressed as a ghost for Halloween, and was carrying her around. She remembered she had been scared of half of the village that night: everyone was in costume, and it was scary!
That picture had been taken before leaving, and…and she frowned.
Her brother had been eleven then. She had been five…or maybe four. She was dressed like a pretty princess and…there, in the corner of the photo waiting for them was…
A dark-haired girl wearing a Chuunin flak jacket…
She resembled…
"Why was she there?" Sakura muttered, frowning.
There had been something else afterwards…she detested the fact that she couldn't remember what it was but…
What reason did a Chuunin have to be there? Her eyes went from her Onii-sama to the girl. She closed them, and then opened them up again.
The chin…the slight tip of the nose…
"No…" she croaked out.
The eyes, both red…nobody in her family had red eyes.
"But…"
The hair, raven…
She closed the photo album and breathed. She was exaggerating. It wasn't possible.
"Sakura! Dinner is ready!" her mother called from downstairs. She clutched the photo-album to her chest and swallowed.
She was a kunoichi…and she was going to get her answers, one way or the other.
"I'm coming mom!" Sakura exclaimed, quickly descending. "Mom?"
"Yes, Sakura? Have you washed your—"
Sakura's eyes firmly settled on her mother. "Mom…is Onii-sama…is he really my brother?"
"Sakura? Of course he—"
"His baby pictures," Sakura deadpanned. "Where are they?"
"He must have taken them with him when he left," Mebuki replied sharply. "Why are you still insisting on this? Come and eat before it gets cold."
Sakura's eyes moved to her father, who was quietly looking elsewhere.
"Dad? Is Onii-sama really my brother?"
"Sakura! Stop asking the same question! The answer won't change!" Mebuki exclaimed.
"Mebuki," Kizashi said quietly. "Come on…I think it's time."
Mebuki bit her lip. "But…"
"It's all right," Kizashi nodded. "If you don't want to, I'll take care of it…"
Mebuki sighed and sat. Her eyes then went to Sakura.
She opened her mouth to speak.
Kurenai Yuhi heard someone knocking at the door —actually, 'knocking' was a euphemism for 'banging on it so hard it was a wonder it hadn't fallen'.
She opened it to find Hinata and…
"YOU!" Naruko pointed her accusing finger at her, "Did you do something to my Aniki!?"
Kurenai blinked, and then looked at Hinata for some explanation.
Hinata fidgeted for an instant, before slowly muttering.
"Ehm…sensei…Naruko-chan…wanted to know about…Haruno-kun and…"
"Ah," her eyes returned to Naruko. "That is none of your business."
She made to close the door, only for Naruko to keep her foot right against it.
"TO HELL IT ISN'T! Aniki's my precious brother! If you broke his arm, I'll make YOU cry, 'ttebayo!"
Kurenai sighed. The neighbours would probably make a complaint if this kept up. She opened the door completely. "Fine then…come in."
Naruko narrowed her eyes on her, but entered. Hinata bowed properly and then followed.
Kurenai closed the door. She knew it was going to be a long night.
The centre of everyone's thoughts and worries however wasn't at home. No, he was watching the flow of the river of training ground seven, his eyes gazing off in the distance as the moon reflected on the surface of the water.
He heard the soft rustling of footstep approaching, and turned just in time to see the approaching figure of Kakashi Hatake.
"Yoh! Why out so late?"
"Felt like it," he remarked.
There was silence for a moment, the copy-cat ninja flipping the page of his book —how he could read without light was a wonder— and he simply watching the water flow.
"Are you going to ask me how I broke my arm too?"
"Uhm? No," Kakashi said.
"Thank you," he sighed. "Maito-san's attempt was the most obvious of them all. Am I really that much of an attraction?"
"Uhm…probably," Kakashi acquiesced.
Silence descended once more.
He broke it first. "Do you think…do you ever think about how…well, sometimes life is just cruel? How things just keep piling up on you, like there's no respite from pain and…well, you just have to live with it?"
Kakashi slowly looked back at him with his only unflinching eye. "Yes."
"How do you cope with that?" he asked back. "I know I should be happy, I know that this is nothing compared to what many others in the world suffer from but…but I can't help but feel loss." He exhaled. "It hurts."
"Uh-uhm," Kakashi hummed. "I live with it," he replied then.
"Useful," he snorted. There was a beat of silence. "You're a really strong ninja, right?"
"Yes, they say so," Kakashi commented.
"Can I ask you a favour?"
"Depends on the favour," the man replied.
"Am I being followed currently?" he finally sighed. "I have this nagging sensation that there's someone following me since a few weeks, but I can't find out if it's just paranoia or not."
"Ah…" Kakashi chuckled. "Yes, you're being followed."
"I knew it," he sighed. "I doubt he'll come out if I call him, right?"
"Oh, you never know," Kakashi remarked. "Try calling for Anbu. Maybe one will magically appear out of nowhere."
He sweat-dropped. "I don't think they work like that."
"I worked in Anbu," Kakashi retorted. "Once we played a prank towards a boasting drunkard who said he was an Anbu. Every time he said the word 'Anbu' we'd appear and ask what the trouble was. We kept it up the entire night and for the following week." Kakashi chuckled. "It was also a form of hazing for the new recruits."
He blinked. "I think…I think I'm glad I'll never enter Anbu."
Kakashi hummed his approval.
"Want to go for a drink?" he asked then.
Kakashi closed his book. "I thought you'd never ask."
And with that…a friendship was born.