Chapter 159 - Soup to Nuts

"Mom! Mom, Mom, Mom, wake up, wa-ake u-up!"

Han's mother turned over in her futon, cracking open an eye. "Good morning, Han," she said.

"Get up, Mom, get up, it's the first day of school! The first day of school!" He shook her shoulders a few more times, before laughing and rolling himself into a standing position.

"Yes, Han, I know." She sat up and stretched, while Han bounced impatiently on his feet next to her. "I see you're already dressed?"

"Yup! Yup, yup, yup, I'm ready, Mom, I am so ready for school!"

"Well, I still need to get dressed," she said. "Make sure everything's in your bag while I get ready."

"It already is, Mom, I went over it, like, a hundred million times already," Han said.

"Can't hurt to check once more. I won't take long." She tilted her head and began unweaving the braid of her hair, which she kept long and smoothly-brushed. "I'll get your breakfast started soon."

Han, completely unable to hold himself in, went for a little run around the garden to keep from fidgeting too hard. His mother had told him that it was better to go make a mess outside and have a great deal of fun, instead of running around inside, making things dirty, and having much less fun cleaning it up afterwards.

She was in the kitchen getting his breakfast onto a plate when he came back, catching his breath. "Hey, did you remember to put fried tofu in my bento, Mom? Like I asked?"

"Yes, Han," she replied. "I didn't forget. Your favorite food for a special day," she added, smiling at him.

"Yeah!" Sitting at the table, he thumped his legs against the bottom of the chair. "I gotta eat real fast, though, I gotta meet Cousin Kumori! He said he's gonna walk me over."

"Yes, Han, I know." She put his plate in front of him. "Eat up so you don't keep him waiting."

Han wolfed the meal down, getting rice all over his face, which he washed off with equal haste afterward. His mother was still eating when he finished, and his eyes darted between his schoolbag and bento on the table and the door.

"Go on and head to school with Kumori," his mother said, her eyes still on her rice bowl. "I'll be there for the entrance ceremony."

"Okay!" Han grabbed his things, but paused before he could get his shoes on. "Grampa too? And Gramma?"

His mother smiled at him again. "Yes, them too. Go on ahead, I'll meet you there."

"Okay! See you in a bit, Mom!" He yanked his shoes on for good measure, and went hurtling into the neighborhood, dappled April sunlight playing through the new leaves of the trees.

He'd run this path before, many times, but this time? Was special. He had announcements to make. "Good morning, Asaoto!" he called.

Asaoto, his neighbor, sat on the front porch of his home with a thick, gray, plastic thing that looked kind of like a book before him. He'd told Han before that it was called a lap-top, and Han gathered that it was something you looked at and learned things from, but the rest was a mystery to him.

"Good morning, Han-kun," Asaoto replied. Even though it was April, he wore a big, green-gray sweater, and leggings under his shorts that looked baggy on his skinny legs. "First day of school, isn't it?"

"Yup! I'm real excited!" Han tugged on his schoolbag, posing like they did in the comics.

"I hope you have fun, then. I'll tell my dad you said hello."

Han liked Asaoto's dad. He was really tall, and one of his grandpa's best friends, and he let Han help Asaoto feed the chickens in their yard, if he promised to behave. "Thanks! I'll tell you all about it later, 'kay?"

"I'm sure you will." Asaoto waved his hand and smiled, and Han ran off to the next house in the neighborhood.

He barged into his aunt and uncle's house without knocking - he was welcome there, he knew and it wasn't like they asked him, ever. "Cousin Kumori! Cousin Kumori! Let's go to school!"

People told Han that his cousin Kumori couldn't see, which Han didn't understand in the slightest. Kumori could get around just fine, and Han could play with him like any other kid. Besides, Han had once closed his eyes to practice what it would feel like, to really not see, and there was no way anyone could get around like Kumori could if they really couldn't see. And his eyes looked funny, but they were funny like his aunt's were. He could never tell which way they were looking at any given time.

Kumori was finishing up his own breakfast, and his aunt Ninako was frying eggs. His uncle Hajime was probably working. "Almost done with breakfast, Han, I'll be there in a second," Kumori said. He finished his toast and wiped the crumbs off his mouth, and went to get his bag. Kumori didn't go to the same school that Han would be going to; he had special training with other people in the city, but the way there was about the same.

"Ah-ah-ah! Kumori, your cane!" Ninako said. She had her sleeves rolled up and her hands on her hips.

"But Mom, it's just to walk Han over," Kumori said, almost whining. "Just this once?"

"No exceptions. It's a rule and I don't want anyone giving you trouble," Ninako said. She took Kumori's cane - more of a long, white stick, than a cane - and handed it to him. "Now go off, both of you. Stay out of trouble."

"I promise, Auntie Ninako," Han said. He tugged on Kumori's sleeve. "C'mon, c'mon, let's get going!"

"See you after practice, Mom," Kumori said, before heading outside with his cousin. He held his cane out slightly before him, the handle near his chest, the tip swaying to and fro in front of his feet. "You excited for school, Han?"

"Like, duh!" Han said. "I'm gonna learn all the stuff."

"All the stuff, huh?" Kumori said.

"All of it. I'm gonna be the best ninja there ever was," Han said.

Han hummed to himself as they went along down the road, out of the neighborhood and into the city. His voice buzzed and jumped this way and that, like a bumblebee, and he kept his hands firmly attached to the straps of his schoolbag.

And, then: "Bro!" Han shouted, and went rocketing forward, stopping just short of Kotoji, who was coming down the road. "Kotoji! Bro!"

"Hey, little bro!" Kotoji was only his bestest friend in the whole universe, and since he was thirteen, he was going to be a chuunin sooner than later. "First day of school!"

"Yeah! I'm gonna learn real hard so I can catch up to you, bro," Han said. "Just you wait."

"Oh man, I can't wait," Kotoji said. "I got a bit of a head start in becomin' Hokage, though, so I'll hold myself back until you have a better chance."

"Nuh-uh! I'll be Hokage first!" Han said, indignantly, grinding his fists into his sides. "An' then you can come after me."

"Good thing I'm not planning on becoming Hokage," Kumori said, finally catching up to them.

"Oops. Sorry, Cousin Kumori, I just got a lil' excited," Han said.

"It's okay," Kumori replied. "I knew where you were." He tilted his head slightly, towards Kotoji. "Hello, Senju-san."

"'Sup?" Kotoji said. "So, can I walk with you guys? I got some time to waste."

"Yeah! Yeah, bro, c'mon with us."

The three of them continued down the road, and Han saw, to his delight and excitement, other kids his age on their way over to the school, alone, with parents, with friends, but none of them looking as excited as he was.

Kotoji split early, stopping in his tracks and yelling down the street: "Hoh! Yoh-chan! Yo-oh-cha-an!"

Sarutobi Yoh was a little older than him; at fourteen, she was already a chuunin, with her green vest visible under her long blue scarf. "Oh, Kotoji-kun."

"Wanna walk to practice with me?" he said, jogging up beside her, wearing his best smile.

"No thanks. I'm looking for my brother."

"Oh? What's Hao up to?"

There was an explosion somewhere nearby, and Hao appeared shortly afterward; he had his jacket tied around his waist and super-green goggles on his face, which was otherwise covered in soot. He made an escape over rooftops, and feathers began floating down in his wake.

"That." Yoh sighed, flipped her scarf over her shoulder, and darted off.

"Oh, uh, I guess I should go help," Kotoji said. "Come to my house after school, little bro! Tell me all about it!"

"Okay! Seeya, Kotoji!" Han said, and followed his senpai with his eyes until he'd darted out of sight.

"That sounded… interesting," Kotoji said. "Smells kinda smokey."

"Mm." Han thought for a moment, before tugging on Kumori's sleeve again. "C'mon, we should keep going!"

There was, however, one more distraction on the way there. Across from the bookstore, a new advertisement had been spread on the billboard, for a movie. It looked like some sort of pirate adventure, with skulls and crossbones and folks in bandannas all over.

But most importantly, it had one of Han's most favorite people on it. Right in the middle, his trademark white skin covered with tattoos.

"Takada Ooda's new movie!" he gasped, joining the crowd of kid gawkers. "Kumori, Kumori, look!"

"What's on it, Han?" Kotoji said.

"Takada Ooda, duh," Han replied. "He did that, uh… that movie with the guy who had, uh, scissors for hands. He's only the bestest actor ever."

"Oh, yeah, my mom took me to that one," Kumori said. "It had nice music."

"He's doing a pirate movie! Oh man, oh man!" Han jumped a couple times in place. "I hafta go see that one now! I gotta!"

"When's it come out?"

"Uhh…" Han squinted his eyes as he tried to remember which symbol meant which number. "July! S'out in July."

"Then we'll have to go see it," Kumori said. "Though… shouldn't we get you to school, first?"

"Oh! Yeah! I am not gonna be late for my first day of school." Han tugged on Kumori once more. "Can we run?"

"Only if you don't tell my mom," Kumori said.

"Promise."

"Okay." He slipped his cane along the side of his arm, keeping it out of the way. "Let's go."

Before they could get terribly far, however, they were stopped by a police officer. "And what are you two doing?"

Han started giggling as soon as he heard the voice, and looked up to see more than the uniform, and the Captain's insignia around his waist. "Headin' to school, Uncle Inou. What you doin'?"

"Directing traffic," Inou replied. "And looking out for my favorite nephews," he added, with a wink.

"We're your only nephews, Uncle Inou," Kumori said.

"Only ones I have here," Inou said, before clearing his throat. "Kumori, your mom would not be happy seeing you running around like that."

"I don't need my cane, Uncle Inou, I know my way around the city," Kumori said, mumbling a little.

"And sometimes the city changes, which is why you need your cane," Inou said. "Sorry, bud, but it's the law."

Kumori sighed. "Fine…"

"So, then, what's got you two in such a hurry?" Inou continued.

"School, Uncle Inou, duh," Han said.

"Then I'll let you pass. But walk, please?" Inou said.

"We'll walk," Han replied, mirroring his tone.

"See you kids later," Inou said, and returned to his duty of directing passers-by, with and without children.

A crowd of kids and their parents was already gathering, by the time Han and Kumori made it to the school, forming queues in front of tables for registration.

"Doesn't seem like your mom or our grandparents are here yet," Kumori said. He always had a way of telling those things, which Han didn't really understand, or question. "You want me to stay here until they get here?"

"Nah, I'll see 'em soon," Han said. "I'll tell you all about school when I get home, 'kay?"

"Okay," Kumori said. "Do your best, little cousin."

"You know it!" Han held up his hand. "High five?"

"High five." Kumori slapped hands with Han, and waved in his direction after repositioning his cane. "See you later."

Han wasn't a very tall kid; his hair was wild and gave him the illusion of height, but truly he couldn't see past the waists of most grown-ups. Budging and shoving wasn't doing him any good, so he did what he hated doing: waiting. Patiently. For his turn in line. He played with the knot on his bento to pass the time.

When he finally reached the table, he saw a surprisingly familiar face. "Yakata!"

"Oh! Is, is that Han I see?" Yakata was his mom's best friend, but he wasn't Han's dad. Not that Han minded. "Already, already going to school!"

"Yup! First day of school!" Han adjusted the straps of his backpack for good measure.

"Well, well let me get you all put together." Yakata had long hair - not as long as his mom's, but pretty long - which he kept tied back. He tucked a bang behind his ear as he looked through lists. "There, there we go, Uchiha Han. I'll, I'll just get you set up…"

"You gonna be my teacher this year, Yakata?" Han said.

Yakata nodded, scribbling on a piece of paper. "For, for reading and writing," he said.

"Oh, that'll be easy," Han said. "I already know how to read."

"Oh, do you?" Yakata said. "Do, do you know what the word 'elocution' means?"

Han thought very hard. "Uh… is it what happens when you put a fork'n the 'lecric plug?"

Yakata chuckled. "Looks, looks like you still have some things to learn." He pushed a white paper ribbon towards Han, with a safety pin at its top. "Put, put this on your chest and wait for the ceremony to start," he said. He lifted his head slightly and looked around. "Is, is your mom not here?"

"No, she was still finishin' breakfast when I left," Han said. "She'll be here, though. And Grandpa too."

"I'll, I'll be sure to look for her," Yakata said, and smiled. "Go, go on, I'll see you later."

"Okay, bye!" Han held his bento with one hand and his ribbon with the other as he went forward into the sea of children that had gathered in front of the stage. Once he was certain his bag and his lunch were safely at his feet, he worked at putting the ribbon on his chest, showing off his name for all to see.

To his delight, he didn't have to wait long - though, to be fair, he had been staring at clouds when the Hokage took the stage. Han already knew him - everyone in his family knew Naruto, duh - so he wasn't really interested in his speech. He saw his aunt Karai behind him, who sent him an excited wave from where she was standing, and he waved back.

While Naruto was talking, Han looked behind him, standing on his tip-toes to get a look at the grown-ups present.

Finally - there! - he saw his mom, the tall lady with the very long hair, in a plain white dress with a very big skirt. And there, beside her, were his grandparents, Ino and Sasuke. Ino was smiling gently, like his mom, but Sasuke looked very much like how Han felt inside: bored and looking for something else to do.

Han looked over his shoulder and waved a few fingers at him, a rubber smirk stretching his face. His grandfather noticed him quickly, and waved a few fingers back, at waist level, so nobody but Han could see.

Han looked forward, after that, keeping his head high and confident, because the people he loved the most were all watching.

This year was going to be awesome.

Worry not, dear readers, this isn't the end of the fic!

The epilogue to In The Blood will be posted next week, and once that's finished I'll be posting an appendix to the fic that covers name translations, the meanings of the chapter names, etc. I'll also be answering reader questions, so feel free to leave them in your reviews.

We're almost to the end! Thank you for staying with me!
- Rii