Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Naruto Uzumaki
After the academy has ended for the day, I choose to skip training and instead squat in an alleyway; hidden by shadows. Pineapple-head always walks past this alley on his way to work. It took me a while to figure that out. But if I am patient, I should see him walk by soon. I will get my weapons back this time for sure. I will make him see why it is important that I have them. I know Shikamaru said he would give them back when I become a genin, but I need them now. I will not get better with weapons unless I can practice with them. Father would want me to train with his kunai and shuriken, so I have to get them back.
Two figures pass the alleyway. One is the blonde with a fan strapped to her back and the other is my target. Rising to my full height I start to rock on the balls of my feet to build up momentum. Concentrating on my task is the only thing that is keeping me from smiling. Shikamaru does not know what is coming to him. I take two long strides before jumping. His body tenses when I run into his back, and he lets out a startled gasp when I wrap my arms around his neck. Before he can say or do anything I said, "We have some unfinished business".
As soon as he hears my voice his shoulders slump and in a tone laced with annoyance he complained, "Manami".
The blonde is standing off to the side as both of them stopped walking after my entrance. A partially amused and impatient look rests on her face. "Give me back my weapons and I will go away", I said. This is the same technique that I used on my brother when he kidnapped my teddy bear when I was six.
Shikamaru reaches up to work on pulling my arms off of his neck. I grab his vest with both hands. "No", he said flatly.
"Yes", I insisted.
With a sudden example of strength, Shikamaru successfully gets me to release the hold I have on him. Keeping a grip on each of my wrists, Shikamaru reaches behind him and slowly lowers me to the ground. Once I am dropped back to the ground, I let out a huff of air as he turns around to face me. He stares into my eyes and puts his hands in his pockets. "Go home Manami. I'm working".
I stomp my left foot and glare up at pineapple-head. "Not until you give me back my father's weapons!"
The blonde steps forward; now one-hundred percent impatient. "Just go home kid. I'm sure your parents are missing you".
Time seems to standstill. No, no one is missing me. I am the one missing them. All my energy disappears as I move to stare at the ground. Stupid blonde. This is between pineapple-head and me. She did not need to open her mouth. I hear Shikamaru sigh a long sigh before he said in a slightly softer tone. "Alright, Manami. If you keep your mouth shut you can come with us. And when I'm done working we can talk about your weapons".
I look up a Shikamaru. That is good news, but it does not feel very good right now. "Okay", I agreed.
Shikamaru shares a look with the blonde. "Let's go Temari", he said. They move forward again; heading towards the Hokage's tower. They walk shoulder to shoulder. I follow behind, trying to copy Shikamaru's footsteps exactly. All I want is my father's weapons. Not another reminder about what I lost.
Once we are standing in front of Tsunade's office door Shikamaru knocks, but not before shooting me a look. A look that says 'be on your best behavior'. My father often had that same look. "Enter", Tsunade called.
Shikamaru opens the door and lets Temari go in first. I follow after Shikamaru; keeping close to his heels. Hopefully, his work will not last long. "Hey", Shikamaru greeted as he and Temari come to a stop. I look between Temari and him to get a better look at the room. Just like the last time I was in here, Tsunade sits behind her desk. But this time there are three people standing in front of her. I do not any of them. One is a long white-haired man that has a giant scroll attached to his back. One is a girl with pink hair and the other is a blonde boy dressed head to toe in orange and black.
At the sound of our entrance, they all turn around. The pink-haired girl steps forward, points towards the blonde boy. "Shikamaru, Temari Look!" She said. She did not seem to notice me.
Shikamaru grunts in surprise. "Naruto". His surprise seems to be a happy one. "When did you get back?" Shikamaru asked.
This Naruto person walks closer to Shikamaru with his hands resting behind his head. "Just this morning", he said casually.
"You don't look like an idiot anymore," Shikamaru said. His voice is light. This is the type of voice that I have heard him use with Chouji and Ino. He and Naruto must be friends. "How should I say it?" He said to himself before saying to Naruto, "You've changed.
Naruto lets out a pleased little chuckle as he scratches the back of his head with one of his hands. But before he can respond the pink-haired girl interrupts. "No, he hasn't changed at all". She said to Shikamaru. Naruto's arms drop back down to his sides. These three seem like they have known each other for a long time. I bite the inside of my right cheek. I probably should not be here.
"Sakura", Naruto said, sounding disheartened. Though a thought seems to hit him as he soon straightens his back and asks, "So are you my opponent Shikamaru?"
I can feel Shikamaru's confusion as he responds, "Opponent? I just came here to pick up some documents". Clearly not knowing what this Naruto character is talking about.
"If it isn't Shikamaru then", Naruto pauses as he looks over at Temari, "Who are you again?" He asks bluntly.
"You don't remember?" Temari asks heatedly; probably feeling a bit insulted.
"Naruto", Tsunade calls from behind her desk, "Neither of them is your opponent".
Suddenly Naruto's face is right in front of mine. I inch closer to Shikamaru out of instinct as I stare into Naruto's bright blue eyes. "Well, it can't be the pipsqueak. How old is she? Like five?"
I frown at him. "I'm nine and a half", I said firmly.
"Naruto!" Tsunade called again. He straightens up and turns around to face the Hokage. "Your opponent is over there". She said pointing to a nearby window.
With a puzzled expression on his face, Naruto wanders over to the window and leans he head out of it. I can hear things being said, but cannot make out the words from my spot next to Shikamaru.
A couple of minutes pass in a content silence for everyone but Naruto and the person outside the window before Naruto steps back and a man with gray hair, wearing a mask jumps up onto the windowsill in a squat position with a book clutched in one of his hands. What a strange person. Who enters a room on the second floor through a window? "Naruto, Sakura", he started, addressing only two people in the room. "Your opponent is me", he said dramatically. I wonder he just talks like that or if he is trying to be dramatic on purpose?
From her desk, Tsunade said, "According to the results of this fight I'll decide how to deal with you two". Deal with them?
Still squatting, the man said, "I'd like to say let's start now, but Naruto just got back. We should let him rest".
"I'm not tired at all", Naruto said determinedly.
Though the man acts like he had not heard him. "Let's meet at the training fields at three. Later", he said before disappearing in a puff of smoke.
"Hn", Shikamaru started, making all eyes turn to him. "He just wanted to read that book".
Looking amused Tsunade said, "Here are the documents". As she points to a stack of papers on the right side of her desk Tsunade's eyes fall on me. Shikamaru goes forward to get the stack of papers. Just as he picks them up Tsunade asked, "Why is the brat here?"
"I am not a brat", I mumble under my breath, but I am not brave enough to say it any louder.
At Tsunade's mention of me, everyone turns to look at me; including Shikamaru. It takes every fiber of my being not to look down. A five-year-old would look down, but not nine and a half-year-old. Shikamaru sighs as if he has just remembered something irritating. "Manami wants to know why she can't have her father's weapons. The ones that I showed you the day that I enrolled her at the academy". Shikamaru's voice, while relaxed, is filled with a hidden meaning.
What hidden meaning can he possibly have about a bunch of kunai, and shuriken? Kunai and shuriken are a dime a dozen in this place, so father's weapons should not be important to these people. They are only important to me. And from the way that Shikamaru said that means he was never considering giving them back from the start. I glare at him. He should have told that to me in the beginning so that I would not have to stand in this office with a bunch of people staring at me. But as those thoughts flash through my mind I watch Tsunade fix her posture. Her previously amused expression forgotten. She laces her fingers together and places them under her chin before narrowing her eyes at me. I feel like a thousand imaginary needles are prickling me. Her stare makes me stand like a statue. "Right! Listen up brat. Those weapons are standard shinobi weapons that are made for shinobi. You are an academy student, therefore they will not be returned until you join Konoha's ranks". Her voice is unwavering. Giving me absolutely no wiggle room. I bite my lip. This is not how I saw my day going. "Now all of you, get out of my office".
Five minutes later I find myself once again walking behind Shikamaru with my hands in my pockets, but now he has his friends Naruto, Sakura, and Temari with him. This time I am not intentionally following him. They are just walking in the direction that my apartment is. I let the tip of my right shoe scuff into the path. They are walking in the direction of my empty apartment. Shikamaru and Temari stop when Naruto said something to them. I do not hear what he said. I do not care. I keep walking. I thought for sure that I would get Father's weapons back. But I could not even make Shikamaru change his mind. Not even a little bit. And since the Hokage agrees with him I probably will never be able to make him give them back. What a letdown today has been. All there is left to do today is to go back to my apartment and to go to bed. I had originally planned to go to my regular training field to practice with weaponry, but now that is impossible. From behind me, I hear the group start to go their separate ways. A few seconds later Naruto catches up and falls in step with me. I glance up at him only to see that he is looking me over with a faraway look in his eyes. What is he seeing? I take a big step to the left to create distance between us and pull my hands out of my pockets. What is wrong with this guy? My sudden movement seems to bring him back down to Earth. "Oi kid, where are you heading?" He asked.
I kick at the ground. "My apartment", I said weakly. Naruto nods but does not say anything else. All around us, the villagers are milling about. To the right a mother and son are walking home; laughing and holding hands. I stop walking to watch. I used to hold my mother's hand like that. But then I turned seven and told her that it was embarrassing to hold onto her like that. I lower my head slightly so that some of my hair falls over my eyes. I would hold my mother's hand every day if that would bring her back.
From a couple of steps ahead I hear Naruto stop and turn around. "What are you looking at?" He asked.
At the sound of his voice, I force my eyes close and shake my head. I am so stupid. My mother can never come back. "Nothing", I said. It nearly came out as a whisper. Hurriedly I pick up my feet and start walking again with Naruto as my companion.
I expect Naruto to leave at any moment down one of the side streets to where his home might be, but he stays in step with me. After what feels like another five minutes passing, I asked, "Are you following me?"
I can feel his eyes on me as he said, "What? No. If anything you're the one following me!" Why did he get worked up over something like that?
I shake my head and look up to make contact with his blue eyes. "No, I am not", I said as we turn a corner. "My apartment is right over there". I point to the now visible apartment building.
Naruto blinks and raises a hand to his forehead as if he is trying to block the sun from his eyes. Which is silly, because the sun is behind us. "Eh!" He suddenly exclaims. "But that's my building! You are definitely following me because I don't remember you. I may have been gone for three years but I would remember if there was a kid in my building!" Naruto pauses and places a fist under his chin in thought. "Unless you hadn't been born yet". He said in a quieter tone.
I feel my face grow hot. This guy has to be an idiot. "I was born longer than three years ago. I'm nine and a half, not three!" I yelled at him. This guy is absolutely backward. First, he called me a five-year-old, and then a three-year-old. He must really be terrible at math.
"Oh, really", he said as he scratches his chin. "Then how come I don't remember you?"
I shake my head at him. He is so dense. "Because I just moved here a few weeks ago". I said before turning away from Naruto. We walk together to the set of stairs that leads to the second floor of the. When we both move to climb up the stairs, my right shoulder bumps into his side. Both of us pause and look at each other. "You live on the second floor too?" He asked.
I nod my head and begin to climb the stairs first. I am ready for this day to be over. "Cool! I guess that I have neighbors now. I've never had any before".
'Neighbor', I correct him in my head. 'You have one neighbor'. Naruto speeds up and squeezes past me on the stairs before turning around, blocking my path. "I guess that means we should formally introduce ourselves", he said, beaming. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki. The future Hokage of Konoha!" He said with style as he holds his hand out.
"Manami", said softly as I slipped my hand into his outstretched one. I cannot figure this guy out. He seems to change from relaxed to hyper in a blink of an eye.
He gives my hand a light shake before releasing it with a smile on his face. Naruto stretches his arms up in the air and as he turns around, and walks he said, "It's been so long since I've been home. This feels nice!" His front door is the first one on the second floor, and mine is the only other door. Both of our apartments have no lights on. I know that he is still watching as I stand in front of my door. Choosing to ignore him, I reach into one of my back pockets of my shorts for my apartment key. "Aren't your parents home?" He asked as I start to put my key into the lock. I shake my head. "Oh, are they working?" He continued out of pure curiosity.
I wish that my parents could work. My brother too. "No". I answered. A moment of silence passes as I unlock my door. I swing it open and hear Naruto snapping his fingers. Turning my head in his direction, I take in his 'I figured something out' pose. What now?
"I got it", He said as he makes a fist with his right hand and pounds it in the palm of his left hand. "Tsunade said something about you being in the academy. So, if your parents aren't here and they aren't working you must be from one of the farming villages! I've never seen one before, but I've heard about kids from non-shinobi villages often come here to become a shinobi". Naruto pauses to take a breath of air. My shoulders rise up to my ears. What an idiot? "So where are you from", he asked, his eyes twinkling.
Why does everyone always say something that makes me think about my parents? First, there was Temari earlier today, and now Naruto. Why are parents so important that everyone feels the need to ask kids about them? My hands ball up into fists as I said. "They are dead. My family is dead". A signal tear falls from my left eye. "And now I have to live here". My eyes harden despite the tears. I use them to dare Naruto to ask more questions. I might have to hit him; like how I hit Izumi.
The light in his blue pupils has dimmed. "Sorry, Manami", he said; his voice soft. Sniffling, I nod my head in response as I rub the skin under my eyes. Where did this come from? I already cried over my destroyed family. It has been about a full month since they all died. I hate crying. I move to enter my apartment but stop on the door frame. It is so cold, and dark in there. Not at all like my home in the land of Earth was. There, Mother always had a fire burning in the kitchen, and every room was always well lit. This apartment is just empty.
I hear Naruto's door open, but I do not hear him go in. "I know how it feels". He said. His tone is distant as if he is recalling something. "It's no fun being alone. Sometimes it feels like it can swallow you up".
I look over at him to see that he is leaning against his doorframe, with his arms hanging limply at his sides, still facing me.
I gulp, and slowly lift my arms up to hug myself. For an idiot, he defined solitude dead on. At least, he defined my solitude; my loneliness.
I look back into my apartment and shiver. I want my brother. I want my mother. I want my father. But all I have is myself, the mystery behind why certain people will not tell me what my last name is, or why I cannot have Father's weapons. Because I do not believe this 'you have to be a shinobi to have them' nonsense that Tsunade said.
I look back over at Naruto. He is also staring into his own apartment; seeing his own shadows. How long has he been alone? "Can..." I started to say before I have to stop to collect myself. I hate asking for favors. Father used to say that people with special blood generally are the ones to accept favors, not make them. But Father is not here anymore. And I am starting to hate my special blood with all of its secrets. Naruto's focus shifts back to me. "Can I stay with you for a bit?"
A soft, understanding, grateful smile grows on his face. And his eyes seem to light up like flashlights. Making an affirmative noise, and nodding his head, Naruto gestures for me to enter his apartment.
Offering my own smile, I close my door and lock it. Just for a couple more hours, I will ignore my cold and empty apartment. And I will try not to cry over my family.