Chapter 134 - Yellow Friday

There was a new woman with Enbi and Yamada when they met; she was tall and dark-skinned, and Juugo almost mistook her for a man at first. Juugo kept looking at her from across the table as Yamada got her papers in order.

"I suppose you're curious about our visitor today, Juugo-san," Enbi, sitting beside him, said.

"Yes, um… who is this? Another housing person?" Juugo said.

"This is Senritsu Hashiki. She'll be the one responsible for building your house, hopefully today," Enbi said.

Juugo's eyebrows rose. "My house…? But I thought I was getting an apartment…"

"That was originally the plan," Yamada said, putting down her papers, "but recently we were informed by the Hokage that a plot of land has been opened up for use. He heard about your situation, I suppose, and approved it for your use."

"The Hokage! Oh, my!" Juugo said. "Goodness, surely my situation isn't that important…"

"Juugo-san, considering your background—like I told you before—and your circumstances, it's definitely worth it," Enbi said. "Of course, if you'd still prefer an apartment, then we can certainly have you placed there…" She paused, thoughtfully. "But… this new opportunity would allow for you to own chickens."

"Wait, you mean it?" Juugo said. "But you said earlier…"

"It was decided that the property is far enough removed from other neighborhoods that the presence of chickens won't be disruptive or unhygienic," Yamada said. She was smiling slightly, a brown sugar-smile. "How's that sound?"

"Oh, it sounds wonderful…!" Juugo said. "How long is this going to take, then?"

"Not long at all! Oh, also, hi there!" The woman Hashiki waved at him. "I actually have to talk to you about this first, before we do anything else. I gotta find out what kinda house you want before I get started."

"Oh, of course!" Juugo said.

Hashiki pushed forward a small, plastic-bound book, and opened it up to Juugo. "My friend Yamato's a bit of a fan of architecture, and he put this together for us," she said. "Pick any one you want, and I'll build it for you no problem."

Juugo began to leaf through the book. "Are you a carpenter, Hashiki-san?" he asked, with his head down.

"Something like that," Hashiki replied.

It didn't take long for Juugo to find a house plan he liked: a wide-open cottage with many windows looking out onto the scenery. Hashiki grinned at the decision, and said she liked it too, very much.

"Shall we move out, then? Since you've made your decision," she said. "I think it might be fun for you to watch me get this started."

"You're going to start building today?" Juugo said. "You don't need to get the wood or anything?"

"I'm sort of self-supplied. You'll see what I mean," Hashiki said, with another smile.

"Hashiki-san's been a big help with other housing projects lately, since she can get jobs done so quickly," Yamada added. "If I had to make a guess, we'll have the foundation set up by today and it'll be livable by Monday, correct?"

"That's if I'm on the slow side today!" Hashiki said. "Of course, I can't do nothin' in terms of electricity or anything, so that's up to your guys…"

"That's awfully quick…" Juugo said.

"That's what I'm known for," Hashiki said. "Really, though, would you like to at least see where we're gonna put your house?"

"Oh, yes, please! Can my son come too?" Juugo said, turning to Enbi.

"Yes, Juugo, of course Asaoto can come," she replied. "We can pick him up on the way out."

A fuzzy, fluttery warmth was building in Juugo's chest, and his smile wasn't going away. "Okay, let's go then!" he said.

Hashiki asked him, in the hallway on the way over, "So, you have a son?"

"Yes, Asaoto."

"How old is he?"

"He's… six, I think? He turned six. He's young."

"Oh, that's sweet," Hashiki said. "I can't wait to meet him."

Asaoto was quite impressed with Hashiki, when he saw her. "You're tall," he told her, after introducing himself.

"So they say!" Hashiki replied.

"How far away is the house going to be from the hospital…?" Juugo asked.

"About a half-hour walk, I think?" Yamada said. "It's a bit further away than some of our other out-patient housing options, but it's quite reasonable, still."

Juugo nodded. "Asaoto, I'm going to carry you there, okay? If you want to walk, we'll do it on the way back. I don't want you getting too tired."

"Okay, Daddy," Asaoto replied. He nestled familiarly into the crook of Juugo's arm, and asked very few questions as the five of them traveled together to the site of the new house.

"So we're going to have chickens here, at this new house?" Asaoto finally said, about halfway there.

"Absolutely, Asaoto-kun," Enbi said. "In fact, I'm going to see to it myself that you have at least one to start when you move in."

"Oh, wow…!" Asaoto replied. He pressed his small, bony hands against his mouth. "But I thought city people didn't keep chickens."

"Sometimes they do, I guess," Enbi said.

"Here we are! I hope you like trees," Hashiki said, when they finally arrived.

"Oh, I love trees…" Juugo said, softly, his eyes quite distracted.

There were trees. Tall trees, just far enough apart to walk comfortably between, giving shade and, doubtlessly, homes to dozens upon dozens of birds.

"I moved some aside to make room for your house, though. And a garden, if you're interested," Hashiki continued, motioning with her hand. "This road we're on, too, so you can get in and out easily."

"Oh, really, the trees are no obstacle," Juugo said.

"Yeah, but what if you want friends over? They'll wanna be able to find you," Hashiki said, with a wink.

"Ah, I suppose you're right…!" Juugo said.

(Perhaps, someday, Sasuke would want to visit…?)

The clearing prepared for the house was truly a blank slate, the dirt patted-down and flat, and the trees perfectly cleared in a soft half-rectangle. Hashiki rubbed her hands together.

"All right, you guys ready for this?"

"Ready for…?" Juugo said.

"The house, of course! I'm going to put up the foundation in a second. You still want that house we decided on?" she said.

"Oh, well, of course…" Juugo said, though his eyebrows were knit.

"Then just wait a moment."

"But where are your tools…?" Juugo said.

Yamada tapped his arm. "Just watch, okay?"

And Juugo watched.

And a moment later, Hashiki spread out her hands and her arms, and four, perfectly-square wooden pillars rose from the flat earth, following the motion of her hands.

Asaoto's eyes widened even more than his father's. "How did you do that?" he said, his voice windy and breathless.

"I have a talent with plants and trees," Hashiki replied, looking back over her shoulder at them all. "Yamato's taught me how to put my talents to use, lately!"

"My word…" Juugo said.

Hashiki made another forceful motion with her hands, and walls began to sprout between the pillars of the foundation; they appeared not to be made of boards but solid, organic sheets of wood, smooth and full of beautifully imperfect whorls.

"If you're wondering where the windows are, I'm putting the holes in later. You'll get to choose the style, okay?" Hashiki said, with another gesture. "For now, let's start the fun stuff!"

"The fun stuff?" Juugo said.

"Yup! It's time to improvise." She laughed, and clapped her hands together. "Okay, so, what kind of roof do you want?"

"What kind of roof?"

Hashiki nodded. "Yup, now that I've got the foundation up, you can choose. You want it flat, regular, high-arched? An attic, maybe?"

"Oh, an attic, that might be nice…!" Asaoto said. He had his little fingers pressed together by his mouth where he stood.

"Yes, an attic would be fine," Juugo added, almost immediately. "With rafters for birds to nest in winter, maybe?"

"Sure, I can do that," Hashiki said, smiling. She began to make motions with her hands like a conductor in front of an orchestra, and a high, arched roof began to sprout from the crown of the walls. "You don't mind birds in your house, huh?"

"Yes, I actually like them very much," Juugo replied. "I'd like a place to keep them warm and let them rest during cold weather, at least."

"Seems like my kind of house," Hashiki said, her hands quieting. "You mind if I add a few things for the birds, then? To make it more, mm, hospitable."

"Yes, of course!" Juugo said; he looked down and saw Asaoto's water-colored eyes were utterly shining.

"Hashiki-san, do remember to keep things somewhat uniform…" Yamada said, cautiously.

"Oh, don't worry, I know what I'm doing," Hashiki replied.

By the time she was done, Juugo had an almost certifiable fairy tale cottage in front of him.

She'd started with the roof, embellishing it with living branches full of leaves that made the whole roof green; the windows, when she put them in, were similarly decorated, with trailing branches and ivies at the top of the frames and wide sills for birds to land upon.

The doors were formed whole and seamless from within the walls, sliding smoothly in and out where they weren't just empty frames—on Juugo's request, since he liked the open space that a frame seemed to give. The floors, finally, were smooth wood like the rest of the house, and it creaked, lowly, almost comfortingly, as Juugo walked on it after Hashiki was finished.

"It's so beautiful, I'm so thankful…" Juugo said, softly, when he'd finally walked through the whole house.

Asaoto was holding his hand, and stepped carefully down onto the yard with him. "This is the best house," he added, quietly.

"I'm glad you feel that way," Hashiki said. She was crouched on the ground beside the house, and pulling small sprouts from the ground. Apparently, she was making a vegetable garden.

"We'll have the house wired for electricity and plumbing by the end of next week," Yamada said. "We'll let you move in then."

"That sounds wonderful," Juugo said. "Am I going to live at the hospital until then, like I did before?"

"Of course, Juugo-san," Enbi said. "And I'll be helping you with the transition and paperwork in the meantime."

"I can't wait to move in," Asaoto said, sitting down on the front step of the house. "I like it here a lot."

"Me too, Asaoto," Juugo replied.

They all returned to the hospital shortly after that. But on the road over, not far from Juugo's house, Hashiki stopped, and tapped Juugo on the shoulder. "Do you want to see my other project? You're not the only person I've made houses for."

"Oh, um, sure…!" Juugo said. "I mean," he added, glancing at Enbi and Yamada, "if it's okay…"

"We've got time," Enbi said. "Besides, I suppose these people will be your neighbors soon, so it's a good idea to get you familiar."

"Great!" Hashiki's hair ripped through the breeze as she turned left and onto a smaller pathway, where the dark shape of a house could be seen in the mid-distance.

It was much bigger than Juugo's house, and seemed slightly incomplete. Occasionally there came knocking sounds from within, curiously.

"They're still working on getting all the electricity and stuff put in, but they're moving in this weekend, I hear!" Hashiki had her hands on her hips, overseeing the progress.

"Oh, who's moving in here, then?" Juugo said. "Another Curse Seal person like me?"

"No, no, they're a local family, the Uchihas," Hashiki replied. "They lost their house recently in the, uh, attacks on the city last month."

"Oh, no!" Juugo said. "Are they all right, all of them?"

"I think so, yes," Hashiki said. "You look worried, are you okay?"

"Oh, it's just… I know Uchiha Sasuke, and he seemed to be recovering from something when I saw him last, so I can only assume…"

"Oh, you know Sasuke-san!" Hashiki said. "It'll be nice to have someone you know as a neighbor, then."

"Ah…"

(But hadn't Sasuke said that he wasn't living with his family…?)

"I'd like to meet this family," Asaoto said. "I've never had neighbors before."

"I'm sure they'll like you a lot, Asaoto-kun," Hashiki replied.

They returned to the hospital, after that. Hashiki parted with them at the gate, wishing them well and promising assistance at any time.

"Juugo-san, when we meet tomorrow we'll start the process of getting you settled, okay?" Enbi said, on the way to his room.

"Okay, Enbi-sensei. Thank you," Juugo said.

"Bye-bye," said Asaoto.

The next day, however, before his scheduled meeting with Enbi, Juugo went out into the courtyard again to think.

He certainly wasn't nervous, and he was absolutely excited about the house, but something felt unsettled in his heart, and it made his body feel almost itchy.

Would he be neighbors with Sasuke? Or just his family, whom he'd barely met?

And all the same, what had happened to him and to his house? It had something to do with the day of the sirens, surely?

He wanted to ask, or to at least know, but at the same time he didn't know if it was his place. When he met Sasuke's family—and he certainly would, wouldn't he?—would he have to ask what had happened? Or where or why Sasuke had left? It almost seemed rude—and beyond that, he didn't even know them yet!

And yet, he worried. For Sasuke's family, but also for Sasuke.

What had happened?

"Ah, so you're in the courtyard again."

Juugo looked up from his clasped hands, and there was Sasuke.

"Hello, Juugo," he said.

"Oh, Sasuke, um, hello!" Juugo replied.

"May I sit here?"

"Oh, yes, of course you can…"

Sasuke sat down on the bench with some degree of stiffness. "I checked by your room but you weren't there. Your son told me I might find you here, however."

"My son?" Juugo said. "You met Asaoto?"

"Mm." Sasuke nodded. "He was very polite. Is he feeling better?"

"Feeling better…?"

"You told me last week that he's been sick. I can tell he's, um… fragile. Is he feeling better?"

"Oh, well…" Juugo rubbed his fingers together. "He's about the same as usual, I suppose…"

"Ah." Sasuke's expression didn't change.

"It's all right, he's not in much pain lately…" Juugo continued.

"You're worried about him, then?"

"Well… I'm always a little worried, I suppose. Why do you ask, though?"

"You look upset," Sasuke said. "Do you… want to talk about that?"

"Oh, no, I'm not upset about Asaoto," Juugo said, shaking his head.

"But you're still upset, then."

It was Sasuke asking these things. Sasuke was here.

But it didn't feel like the time, or the place.

"Well, I suppose I'm… anxious over changes."

"Changes, hm?" Sasuke said.

"Yes, I'm going to meet with my case worker about my new house today."

Something in Sasuke's face loosened. "You finally received one, then? A house, I mean."

"Mm, it was finished just yesterday!" Juugo said. "I'm moving in with my son next week."

"That's… great news," Sasuke said. "Have you… met your neighbors yet?"

His neighbors…? "Um, no, not in person," Juugo said. "But I walked by their house."

"Ah. I hope they're kind to you, then," Sasuke said.

Juugo remained slightly befuddled. Did Sasuke already know…?

"Where was your house built, then?" Sasuke continued.

…or did he not? "It's, um, on the east side of town, I think," Juugo said, "where the sun rises. There are so many trees, too."

"It sounds like a very nice place," Sasuke said. He seemed to be smiling a little more. "You say you're moving in next week?"

"Yes, that's the plan."

Sasuke looked down for a while. "Would it be all right if I… visited you there sometime?"

Juugo blinked, once or twice. "Visit me?"

"I understand if you don't want me to…"

"No, no, I'd love having you visit, Sasuke," Juugo said. "I'll let you know as soon as I move in."

"How will you contact me, though?"

"Oh, well…" Juugo pursed his lips in thought.

Sasuke began to stand. "I'll get a piece of paper and write down my phone number," he said. "You can call me."

"Oh, your phone number!" Juugo stood up and began following him. "Are you sure?"

"Well, unless you know of another way to contact me," Sasuke said, over his shoulder.

"No, that's all right, it's fine…!"

Juugo followed Sasuke to the inside of the hospital, where he found a nurse and borrowed a pen and notepad from her.

"I live with a friend named Naruto, but he probably won't pick up the phone if you call during the day," Sasuke said, writing in clear, perfect letters. "If you get the answering machine then be sure to ask for me, all right?"

"Yes, I'll remember!" Juugo replied.

"Good. And then you can give me your own phone number when you have one." Sasuke ripped the paper off the pad. "I'll be glad to visit you here in the hospital until then, though."

"Ah, you really mean it?"

"Yes. I have… a fair bit of free time these days," Sasuke said.

"Would you, um… like to have lunch with me tomorrow, then?"

Sasuke smiled a little. "I would love to."

Sasuke visited every day, after that, stopping by Juugo's room in the afternoons after he had his appointments with Enbi, signing paperwork and going over rules together. Juugo would pour glasses of juice or tea, for him and Sasuke, and milk for Asaoto. And they would talk for an hour or two before Sasuke returned home, and Juugo and Asaoto left for dinner.

Their conversations were as loose and casual as sunlight, and Juugo felt less and less apprehensive in bringing things up to Sasuke, talking about anything and everything with him: his therapy, Asaoto, his past. And Sasuke listened, patiently, never speaking too much or too little, and always seeming to make Juugo feel more comfortable in the telling.

Though, some things remained stuck on his tongue: the mystery of his neighbors, Sasuke's family. Aside from the issue of whether it was rude or not, he didn't know if it would surprise Sasuke, or maybe even hurt him—did he even know they were getting a new house at all? Was he moving in with them?

Juugo didn't mention any of that.

And before anyone knew it, moving day had arrived.