Echo Uchiha: I'm glad you think this story is cool and sweet. :)

I am sorry for the lateness of this chapter, the school year is ending so you know what that means! Yes, tests, tests, and more tests! Isn't that just wonderful?

I do not own Naruto

Italics: Kiba narrating/thinking/flashbacks

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7:02 P.M., July First 1957 (three minutes after the incident with the cops),

"You didn't snitch," ma told casually as she fried some eggs to go with the fried rice. I lazily lifted my head from its position on my arms. "You know that snitches get stitches," I quoted the saying that was the unofficial motto of this city.

Ma snorted in distaste. "It'd be hard for him to whack you if he was in jail, Kazuhiko."

I huffed. "Ma, he probably has done it before for less. The bastard." I barely dodged the spoon flying towards my head. I could feel a breeze as it whipped passed my head and lodged itself into the wall.

"Ma! You could have killed me!" I bellowed, cradling my head. Ma simple tsk'ed at me, her eyebrows furrowed into her eyes. I gulped at her leather-colored eyes; they were that of an interrogator, a cold eat-nails-for-breakfast interrogator.

"Kazuhiko, you know not to speak badly of someone! I have taught you better than that!" Ma thumped some cut-up onions into the pan with more force than needed. "I will not be known as the only mother in the city that lets her nine-year-old son run around cussing at people!"

I bowed my head with shame. "Sorry, ma, you know I didn't mean it! I would never have said that if I knew you thought that way!"

Ma did not seem to hear me for she went on throwing vegetables (my arch nemesis) in the pan of fried eggs and rice. "When's your sister going to be home any way? She still hasn't done her chores and it's almost seven-thirty!"

I shook my head. "She said she's going to spend the night at a friend's. Apparently, there's going to be a parade down in Quill." I was secretly hoping that she would suddenly decide that we should go too but I knew differently, it was all about Hana. If Hana were to get an A+ the whole world would end from ma's joy but if I got an A+ it would always be a "well, keep it up and maybe I'll get you a new string for your yo-yo" and I have not had a yo-yo since I was five but I do not think ma knows that.

And then there was the fact that Hana got to go wherever she wanted like just today, she did not even ask ma if she could go sleep over at a friend's. She only gave me a little nod, mumbled she was not going to be home tonight, grabbed her overnight bag and left. I would not even be alive if I were to do that, nine years old or fifty.

Ma sighed whilst running a hand through her spiked hair. "Jeez! She's only eleven yet she acts like she's a teenager! I don't know what I'm going to do with her when she actually is one!"

"Everything would probably be the same, ma, there's nothing to worry 'bout." I clamped my jaw shut whilst I closed my eyes. I did not want to see what she would do to me. I did not mean to say that out loud! I really hope she knew that! Oh god, I am a dead man!

Ma got real quiet, that only made me want to open my eyes but then that would make me a fool and I was not a fool. "Why are you doing that, boy? You look like a fucking blind person! Open your eyes, Kazuhiko!"

I could not help but bristle at being called Kazuhiko. My eyes snapped open. I hated that name. No one could even pronounce it! Who the fuck names their kid Kazuhiko anyway? Harmonious prince, talk about cheesy. But I could not really blame my mom, Hana meant nose any way. But Tsume meant claw/talon. So why does ma get a cool name while Hana and I get weird ones?

Ma noticed me tense (she also probably saw the look in my eye). "What's the matter, Kazuhiko?"

I shot up from my chair; it fell backwards and landed with a loud clack. There she goes saying that name again. "Ma, why must you call me Kazuhiko?"

Ma glared at me through her leather-like eyes. "It was my father's name, Kazuhiko and you will treat it with respect!" She slapped her hand on the kitchen counter as she commanded the last word.

I puffed out my chest in a dim hope to make me look tougher. "I don't like that name! No one can pronounce it beside for the people back in our 'home country' and it's too damn long! None of my friends have such a long name like me! I hate it!"

Ma was solemn, her voice like icicles ready to stab. "There is no argument here. Kazuhiko is the name signed on your birth certificate and I'd be damned if it didn't stay that way."

I grumbled some jumbled words and sit back down. This conversation was not over or at least in my mind. My brain was already scrambling with witty comebacks as well as insults.

Ma smirked; she thought she won. How wrong she was. "Good, now eat up." She placed the freshly cooked food on the table. "You're going to need it tomorrow."

My eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. "What's tomorrow?"

"Nothing, just some errands to run, you know how Tuesdays are."

I did not like the tone of her voice. Not one bit.

:/line/:

5:00 A.M., Tuesday, July second, 1957

I groaned and rolled over, pulling my covers over my head as I did so. "Noooo, I don't want to get up," I mumbled with a glare through my shut eye-lids. Something nudged me again but this time with so much force that it sent me flying into the wall.

"Wha!"

I groaned, rubbing my head. My body hurt like hell and was still in the clutches of sleep. I blinked the blur of a dream out of my eyes. I squinted to adjust to the new found light. The first thing I noticed was a looming figure standing almost on top of me.

I had to wipe my eyes just to make sure I was not imagining it. That was when the shadow spoke, its pearl-white teeth standing out of the murk, "Kazuhiko." The thing just so happened to be my mother and believe me when I tell you she looked very smug like waking me up at an ungodly hour was a punishment for me. Little did she know that I actually woke up around this time to go jogging but what she does not know will not hurt her.

Getting off the floor, I straightened myself to my full height of four foot nine. I quickly smoothed the ruffles in my shirt and stared at ma with indifferent eyes (like I did not just get thrown off my bed). "Yes, ma, what is it?"

Ma eyed me with surprise. I could not tell whether she was startled by my fast recovery or that I was (for once in my life) being polite or perhaps it was that I did not seem to mind being waken up so early. Whatever it was it caught ma off guard.

"Get ready. You're going with me to the North side."

She tossed some clothes at me which I seized without really looking. Did she just say the North side? I shook my head, russet locks flinging themselves around. That could not be right! But, in fact, it was. I regained my dignity and pulled off my night shirt all while thinking fuck my life.

:/line/:

"Ma!"

Said woman glared at me as I walked into the kitchen. "What is it, Kazuhiko?" I could tell she was grumpy (no doubt because she had woken up at four) but I could not control my curiosity (and my anger…).

"Why are we going to the North side?" I whined like a two year old instead of the nine year old I was. My shoulders slumped when she laughed. "Kazuhiko, you know that the North side is on my route."

I fixed ma with the meanest glare I could muster.

And now that I look back on it I can't help but think how pathetic I must have looked to ma. Oh man, was I an idiot or what? I guess it's true what they say: everything that seems big and tough now isn't much when you look back on it. Those are some of my words of wisdom to all the kids out there, remember them.

"So I'm going with you to your job?" I irately asked. Ma shook her head. "Nope, I have some business there."

"Then why am I going?" I bluntly demanded, forgetting just for a moment of ma's wrath. Ma locked eyes with me. "You are grounded if you have forgotten. You cannot be trusted by yourself."

I crossed my arms and whipped my head to the side. My bottom lip poked out some. It did not take a genius to tell I was pouting. "I could stay with Dosu or Zaku! Their parents love me! Besides, I can't go with you, you said that I couldn't go passed the steps!"I was gathering all the excuses I could. Anything was better than the North side!

Ma glared down at me. "Do you really think Dosu's and Zaku's parents would enjoy someone knocking on their doors at five in the morning?" She tapped her foot as she waited for an answer.

My eyes were down casted. "No, ma'am."

Ma nodded with a humph. "Good. Now let's go, we have no time to waste." I glared at her back as we walked down the flight of stairs and out of the apartment complex. Sometimes I really hated my mother.

:/line/:

5:34 A.M.

At The North Side Music Store On Fourth St.

'I cannot believe I am actually doing this,' I thought, standing next to ma as she was greeted by a female Northerner with flamingo pink hair and purplish indigo eyes. It was disgusting. I was careful to not make a face, ma explained to me in great detail what would happen to me if I was anything but nice to the people we were meeting up with.

Ma put her hand on my shoulder. "And this is my son, Kazuhiko." She gave me a secret glare. I gulped and nodded my head to the Northerner. "It's nice to meet you, Miss…"

"Haruno," she beamed. I did not know what I hated more, the fact that I was talking to a Northerner or the fact that a Northerner was talking to me like we were equals. With a quick glance at ma, I dipped my head. "It's nice to meet you, Miss Haruno."

"Oh, Tsume, what a lovely son you have here," Miss Haruno complimented, turning her head back toward ma. Ma nodded. "Yes, a very pleasant lovely son." I got the hint instantly and give a small fake smile. I wondered if this was how Sai felt when he smiled.

I noticed some movement behind the Northerner's (I refused to call her by her name. Northerners were just filth on the bottom of my shoes) dress. I was quick to point it out to ma. I tugged on ma's pant leg. She gave me a fixed stare. "What is it, Kazuhiko?"

I nodded my head to where I saw the movement. "There's something behind th-… Miss Haruno's dress," I explained, ignoring the surprised expression on the Northerner's face.

The female Northerner shook her head in amazement. Seriously, were Northerners stupid enough not to notice something moving? "Why, that's my daughter, Sakura. How did you know she was behind me?" she asked, stunned. Apparently, they were.

"Ma'am, one of the first things you learn in this city is to be as observant as you can. You never know when that awareness will come in handy." Were things really that different on the North side? I guess that is just one more reason Northerners are stupid.

Ma gripped my shoulder in a warning. I frowned at her. I was not that stupid that I would forget the lecture she gave me on the ride over here. Before I could reassure ma, the Northerner pulled a little girl (great, another Northerner) from behind her.

The smaller Northerner shook, clinging to her mother's dress hem. She could not be a day older than nine. Our eyes locked ("So, Tsume, I hear you turned down ANBU for a bus-driving job? How is it working out for you?" "Oh, you know how it is, you get to drive around the city." The Northerner laughed. "Still as funny as ever I see. God, I miss the days were we saw each other every day." Ma nodded. "So do I but you know how this city works, Northerners on one side and Southerners on the other. I wish everything could be like it was but I doubt it will." The female Northerner looked onward sadly. "Doesn't everyone?").

:/line/:

3:00 P.M.

Outside My Apartment Complex

"Your ma seriously took you to the North Side?" I nodded miserably. Zaku gazed at me with disgust. "The Northerners didn't touch you, did they? You know that Northerners can kill you if they touch you!"

My eyes widened whilst Kin rolled her eyes. She whacked Zaku on the head. "Moron! That's just a tale for children!" she exclaimed heatedly. "Don't fill Gooseberry's mind with your stupid thoughts!"

I sighed; gooseberry was Kin's nickname for me since she still could not pronounce my name. Actually, I knew only one person on my block besides my family that could pronounce it and that was Teuchi the vegetable cart owner.

"I'm not filling his head with stupid thoughts! I'm telling the truth! I have an uncle on the force and he told me that this Northerner was arrested for speeding and when he was taken to the satiation, he went crazy and the cops couldn't stop him 'cause every time the Northerner touched one of them, they died!"

Dosu and I shared a look with one another. We did not know whether to believe Zaku or not so we just stayed quiet. Sai shook his head, a fake smile making its way on his face. "You know, Oto is the only city in the world that is still caught up on the North Side, South Side thing. Maybe, it is time to take a leaf from everywhere else's book and stop hating those that are different," he told emotionlessly.

Kin stopped beating Zaku and turned to Sai dangerously. "What did you say?" Her pitch-black eyes were narrowed, daring the boy to repeat what he said.

Sai did not seem to notice the murderous intent radiating off of Kin for he tilted his head in a position that was confusion though his face remained blank. "I was sure you heard me, Saber Tooth, but it seems that you were too busy expressing your hatred for Syrup. I shall repeat myself so you will not be left ou-"

Sai did not have time to finish his sentence for Kin slugged him. I winced. That had to hurt. Kin huffed irately. "Go back to Konoha!" Sai smiled, much to Kin's annoyance. "I am very sorry I upset you. I apologize, Saber Tooth." Kin punched him again. "Idiot!"

I briefly noticed movement out of the corner of my eye. I turned to get a better look. Instantly, I regretted it. There stood Killer Bee in all his glory, leaning against the building of Court Side Bar. He was staring at me through his dimmed sun-glasses. Once he spotted me looking at him, he grinned, showing his enlarged canine teeth. He pointed to me then jabbed his thumb to the bar.

I knew he wanted me to follow him. I glanced at my friends; they were watching Kin beat up Sai. I knew that they would not be able to help me. The only person that could would be ma but she was currently driving a public bus around. I sighed at my luck before reluctantly getting up from my sit on the step. I crossed over the street to where Killer Bee stood.

He grinned down at me. "Let's talk, Kazuhiko."

I stand corrected, there were two people on my block besides my family that could pronounce my name.