Chapter 6! It's a miracle! Haha, sorry to keep you waiting for so long, guys! I hope you haven't lost interest because of my procrastination… Again, super sorry! But to show me that you're still reading and/or interested, keep reading and review, please! It'd be much appreciated, because I'm still quite uneasy about my writing… But any-who, Enjoy!
Disclamer: I do not own Naruto, neither do I own any other of Masashi Kishimoto's works. I only own my characters who've been incorporated into the story!
'Almost… Almost there'
Is what I thought to myself once I managed to stumble my way past the large white arc embedded with the excruciatingly obvious trade-mark symbol of my clan; three hollyhock leaves within a circle. Cringing unconsciously at the sight, I continued down the now-narrow path lined with varieties of plant life towards the wooden oak door entrance to my home. I didn't get very far down the footpath before I heard the sound of laughter and a stampede of footsteps becoming louder by the second. Hesitantly, I peeked over my shoulder. Before I was able to even comprehend what was happening, I was shoved to the rubble floor by the strong forces that had hit me square in the shoulders.
With such a solid shove, I was pushed down face-first onto the pavement below. Upon realizing mid-fall that I was just about to virtually get my facial bones rearranged for me, my eyes widened and I reacted automatically. Letting go of all that was in my grasp and its packaged components, I pushed off of the ground with my left hand and twisted my body in a twirl to regain my footing, hurling myself back up. In the process of this, I stuck my hand into my weapons pouch and fished out the first object I could get a hold of: A kunai.
As soon as I was up right again, I lifted the kunai before my face and was in a battle position, staring right at what I presumed to be a threat.
"Pff- Ahahaha!"
Loud laughter rang through the area as I watched my eldest brother, Seiichi, clutch his stomach and double over with Akihiro and Tadao following in his lead. Upon realization, I began lowering my arms and stepped back into my casual stance.
"'Welcome back', loser."
Yelled Akihiro towards me, sticking out his tongue in a childish manner and initiating another fit of simultaneous laughter from the three of them. Seiichi patted him on the back in approval.
I glared at the ground below me, placing my kunai back into its pouch and rubbing my shoulder in discomfort. Their laughter began growing distant slowly as they opened the front door and retreated into the house, slamming the door shut again after them inconsiderately. I stood there for a couple of more seconds, just staring at the ground. 'What barbarians…' I thought to myself. Containing my anger and putting on a blank expression, I picked up the newly-boughs' and began making my way to the door.
Winded and exhausted, I took one final step up the stairs of my porch and let the flimsy bags out of my grip and onto the stone beneath me along with the newly bought books. With a sigh, I reached my sooty hand to the knob and opened the heavy door, pressing my back against it to keep it open while I picked up the bags once more and withdrew inside. Letting the door close itself, I let myself fall to my knees and onto the mat below me in exhaustion. The immediate thing that caught my attention were my brothers' filthy shoes messily placed, no, thrown to the center of the large entrance room.
Furrowing my eyebrows, I took off my shoes and placed them parallel to each other beside the door, picking up my house shoes and putting them on before striding over to my brothers' shoes and picking them up to place them by the door neatly, as well. Amidst wiping off my hands onto my already-dirty, white shorts, the sound of footsteps beginning to approach me caught my attention. Without having to look, I was able to recognize the slow yet harsh-sounding steps; my Father.
Straightening my posture and letting my hands stiffly hang by my sides, I stared straight ahead and listened to the footsteps growing louder before coming to a stop right in front of me. Not daring to make eye contact, I focused blankly on the white wall behind my Father.
I felt his eyes look me up and down sternly, before his gaze landed on the bags.
"Have you collected the equipment from Gato's shipment."
He stated, more than 'asked'.
"Yes, Father."
I affirmed robotically, attempting to withhold the twitch that was threatening to give away as my shoulder ached numbly.
He began walking over to the bags tentatively, keeping his eyes on my face until he had reached the bags and picked them up with one swift swipe. Letting one bag hang from his wrist, he used both his hands to keep the bag with wrapped contents open. Upon those wrappings was our clans symbol embedded, along with a scroll with the Land of Waves sign stamped upon it stuck to one of the packaged objects.
Harshly tearing the scroll off the package revealing the glinting of metal peeking through the tear, he dropped both bags and opens the scroll. Now, I averted my gaze towards it in curiosity as his eyes skimmed the words written within the scroll. Slowly, a rare smirk began playing itself upon his lips. "'Isolating the country from the outside world', huh." He mumbled to himself. Rolling up the scroll after a couple of seconds, he let it drop back into the bag.
With a satisfied huff, his expression dropped back into its usual grim look and he faced me. Immediately, I turned my head back towards the front.
"We will discuss this matter later on. You may go to your room."
He said coldly, a complete contrast to his previous tone when he had been reading the scroll.
"Yes, Father."
I stated once more before heading towards the marble staircase. Before I was able to walk up even one step, my Fathers voice rang out again, much more quietly this time.
"…And well done… child."
He praised me. But I was unable to muster up a smile.
"Of course, Father…"
Whatever you say, Father. Because your actions and immoral corruptions are always right, Father.