The Boy in the Park
Chapter Thirty-Nine
"Neh, Aniki?" Naruko began, hesitantly looking towards him with her cerulean eyes that sparkled. "Where is Anko?"
He blinked back. "I think we broke off once more. Or Ibiki just held her prisoner as punishment in the T&I department."
Naruko nodded. "What of Sakura?"
"I think I saw her rummaging in my trash this morning," he shuddered. "Then again, I think I also saw Hinata rummaging through yours. They stroke up quite the friendship," he felt a deathly chill settle on his back, the same that was running through Naruko's since the girl trembled too.
"Aniki?"
"Yes?"
"Are we the only two normal people left?"
He shook his head. "There's Ayame, isn't there?"
Naruko grimaced. "She was no longer the same after the talk," she muttered.
He froze. "I see."
"She decided to go on a trip to improve her cooking," Naruko supplied.
"Good for her," he acquiesced. He hummed as he grabbed his cup of tea and sat down at the table, flipping through the pages of his latest book.
The clock on the wall began to tick.
"Aniki?"
"Yes?"
"I need a favour," she turned slightly red.
He raised an eyebrow.
"I mean…I think it's normal…and I…I need…" she stammered out, blushing heavily. "Underwear." She squeaked that word out looking down to the floor and fidgeting.
He slowly closed his eyes, before placing a footnote in his book.
"You…want…moral support?" he hazarded, receiving a tiny nod in reply.
"Me?" he asked once more, feeling his saliva nearly choke him.
She nodded, completely red…
In moments like those…Shinku felt like a single father. Thank Kami the 'talk' on tampons had been done by Ayame. He wracked his brain.
"Why not ask Sakura?"
"She doesn't have anything yet…what does she know?"
Sakura sneezed.
"And why would I know anything about…bras?" he actually choked saying that word.
"Well," Naruko looked sideways. "You're a man right, Aniki? So…you know what's nice…yeah?"
"I…don't think…it works like that," was it getting hot in the apartment? It had to be the tea. "I…suppose…why not Hinata?"
"She kept touching them during the last sleepover," Naruko muttered. "I'm not going to ask her!"
He hung his head and took a deep breath. "Very well then," he stood up. "I don't know if we'll find a shop still intact but…we'll find something, I'm sure of it."
Naruko squeaked a hasty 'dattebayo' as she stood up. It wasn't that late in the evening, and a few shops were indeed still open.
He actually had to push Naruko inside —the girl was absolutely refusing to take another step midway through.
"Maybe Aniki it's not a really nice idea oh hell why did you bring-me-here-i-want-to-go-home please!" she squeaked as the attendant —a normal looking lady in her thirties— came forward with a small smile.
"May I help?"
He sighed in relief. "She needs a…bra."
Naruko was literally steaming from her ears.
He wanted really to be elsewhere.
"Of course! Have they just recently started to grow?"
The problem with lingerie shops —Shinku soon realized— was that there wasn't a 'safe' spot to gaze at. Everything was 'dangerous' and 'perverted' to gaze at for long. Naruko was whisked away by the attendant, and thankfully all he had to do was wait watching the floor or the surface of the counter.
It was then that he actually slammed his hand against his face.
"Anbu guard?" he muttered carefully.
Silently, the Cat Masked Anbu appeared from the shadows. "Yes?"
So Kakashi's words actually worked!
"You take care of this," he finally wheezed out. "I'll wait outside." He left his wallet on the counter and moved out, leaving behind the flabbergasted Cat-Masked Kunoichi who found herself soon…assaulted, by Naruko.
Shinku breathed in relief outside.
Five minutes later, and Naruko dropped down next to him, holding both his wallet and a plastic bag with her…purchases.
The cat masked Anbu actually glared at him before disappearing in the shadows once more.
"I nearly forgot about her," he muttered. "Anbu sure are good at their jobs."
"Ehi, Aniki," Naruko dropped her head against his shoulder, letting her legs dangle. "Ero-sennin said we have to go looking for the new Hokage soon…I'll be away for two weeks," she grabbed his arm. "Can I ask you something?"
He looked at her and raised an eyebrow, before nodding.
"I know you'll be here when I'll be back, so…can you water the plants while I'm gone?"
He chuckled and ruffled her hair. "Like I do every day?"
"It's not my fault," she complained. "I'm busy working!"
"Me too," he softly added. "Well…can't help it if you're leaving…let me guess, tomorrow?"
She flushed red and nodded.
"Why am I not surprised? Always thinking things at the last minute. Come on then, let's go…"
"Uh? Where?"
"To get a Bento Box, what else? At least you'll have something to eat on the road the first day that isn't cup ramen."
She smiled brightly at that and jumped up in a second. "Can I have a box with toads on it, Aniki!? Maybe one with really badass and cool toads, like, with scars and swords and…"
He rolled his eyes as he smiled. That was something he could deal with easily. As they began to walk towards the shop, Naruko grabbed his hand as if to hurry him along. He actually realized it midway towards the shop that Naruko's grip on his hand had taken on a softer approach and she was now walking next to him.
"Aniki?" she muttered. "People are looking at me strangely."
He frowned and looked around as he felt Naruko grip fiercely on his arm. Sure, there were a few persons talking to one another while eying them, but from what he was hearing…
'She's the one who took down that monster outside.'
'Eh, maybe she wasn't as rotten as I thought.'
'You think that boy is her guardian?'
'Maybe that's why she stopped pranking! You think I can have his number? He looks kind of hot…and he must be good with babies…'
He actually shuddered…
He supposed that, just as he had been slightly glared at for being close to Naruko once…now that some were looking at Naruko in a different light…the same applied to him?
Naruko puffed her chest out —she had probably heard. "That's right 'ttebayo," she murmured as she walked next to him. "And Aniki's mine," she added then. "He's my family," she muttered. "Let them find their own," she grumbled then as her ears seemed to catch on far more comments of the crowd than him.
He nervously chuckled.
He remembered Naruko being clingy when she was young —she cherished physical contact of any type, happily purring every instant he patted her head— but he had hoped it was just a phase.
Then again, she did have that mania of sitting on his lap whenever she wanted to read something.
She would be gone for two weeks.
More than enough time to think about telling her or not of her parents…and to decide whether to change apartments or not. Houses cost had plummeted after all, since they were being rebuilt cheaply by shinobi —one in particular was nicknamed 'Woody' and was pretty much called for building nearly all of the houses.
Somewhere, Yamato felt a deep unsettling chill reach his entire spine and grab it, as if the shinigami was twisting it for his own enjoyment.
On the plus side, he was getting a lot of money from Ranked missions.