Not My Family
Dairuko woke up the next morning in a motel room with an empty bottle of sake in one hand and an address written on his forearm.
"Time for some early morning rumble in the jungle." Dairuko said then got up and took a shower. Once dressed, he made his way to the door and, as he opened it, found Ayame standing in the door way. "You again."
"Yes, me... now where do you think you're going?" Ayame asked blocking his path.
"I have an address written on my arm, I intend to find out who I end up in."
"It won't take you into anyone, you pervert, that's my address just in case you snuck out and someone found you passed out on the ground."
"That's... pretty smart actually. But as you can guess, I stayed inside. Now step aside." Ayame side-stepped, letting Dairuko pass.
'What happened to you, Dairuko?' she thought.
Flashback
Ayame was playing in the sand box with Natsuki when some kids put sand in their hair causing the girls to scream out in indignation. A second later everyone heard rumbling followed by the appearance of a dust cloud from which emerged Dairuko.
"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Dairuko screamed as he landed a powerful body blow to one of the kids upon his arrival. The rest of them fled the scene. "Are you guys ok?"
"We're fine thanks, Dairuko. They just put sand in our hair, nothing major." Natsuki said.
"Hey you wanna play with us, Dairuko?" Ayame asked.
"Eew play with girls? Gross I'd never... never, I refuse."
"You can pretend to be our bodyguard."
Dairuko thought about it then nodded and for the remainder of that day Dairuko kept his arms folded, his face serious, body language imposing.
End Flashback
"You used to be so different... what happened?" Ayame asked herself, not knowing Dairuko was leaning against the wall around the corner from her, listening.
"I learnt about being a true ninja, Ayame... I'm sorry." Dairuko said to himself then left the motel.
Dairuko made his way to the grassy plains where he told Hinata they'd train. Upon arriving, he saw Hinata had already begun training so just leaned against the nearest tree and watched when he noticed a flower nearby. He remembered his failure at wooing Ayame when they were younger.
Flashback
It was Valentine's Day and Ayame's birthday and the day Dairuko was going to tell her how he felt about her instead of always showing up when she and Natsuki were being bullied. So Dairuko started with getting Ayame a present but seeing as he had no money to buy her something, he decided to 'borrow' a flower from his mother's garden only to be caught red handed by the latter.
"What do you think you are doing, young man?" she asked, causing Dairuko to freeze.
"Nothing I swear!" Dairuko exclaimed as he hid the flower behind his back.
"Then what is that behind your back?" Dairuko sighed in defeat and explained to his mother what was happening. "Aaaw my son has his first crush."
"It's not a crush." Dairuko pouted.
"Bring it here so I can at least make it look like you didn't pull it out of my garden."
"Kaa-chan... what if someone else gets Ayame more flowers or- or worse... if they get her chocolate! I can't compete with chocolate!"
"Calm down, Dairuko and listen. Some girls actually like the small things, for example, just one flower. I'm sure Ayame is one of them."
"You think so?" Dairuko's face lit up.
"I do... now go give Ayame her flower."
"HAI!" Dairuko exclaimed brightly, then walked out.
Dairuko walked through the village like a man on a mission to where Ayame would be. Then he saw her in the distance standing as if she was waiting just for him. Dairuko took a deep breathe and walked towards her, his heartbeat increasing with each step to the point that his nerves caused him to accidentally kill the flower in his grip from holding it too tight. When he was just a few feet away from her he saw some other guy walk up to her with a bouquet of roses and give them to her. Dairuko's heart just shattered as he dropped the flower and walked back home with his head down.
Dairuko remained in his room until his mother came to check up on him.
"Dairuko?" she said as she opened the door.
"GO AWAY!" Dairuko yelled with his back to the door and his mother.
"Are you crying?"
"NO!" Dairuko screamed then let out a small sniff "Men don't cry."
"Dairuko, you are not yet a man. You're still a young boy who has to go through the emotions of life."
"Well if this is what emotions feel like I can do without them... but, why couldn't it have been me? I'd be the best boyfriend EVER, kaa-chan. I'll treat her right, make her laugh and smile everyday even when she's sad, I'll protect her from anything that would hurt her or make her cry." Dairuko sobbed.
"Dairuko, look at me, son." Dairuko complied and looked at his mother with teary eyes "Someday, Dairuko a very lucky girl will be able to say that you are her boyfriend and that you will do all those things for them."
"How do you know?"
"Because, Dairuko things have a way of working out in the end, mark my words." she said and pulled Dairuko into a hug then kissed the top of his head "I love you, Dairuko. Don't you ever forget that no matter what happens, my son."
"I love you too, kaa-chan."
End of Flashback
"Dairuko-senpai." Hinata said.
"Huh? Oh hey, Hinata... sorry I was just remembering something." Dairuko said, picking up that flower and giving it to Hinata, who blushed. "Consider this a reward for working so hard."
"Arigatou, senpai."
Natsuki woke up to see that Dairuko hadn't come home last night which isn't unusual but, given what had happened prior to it, she was a bit upset that he was still angry with her.
'It's not like I have no reason to suspect Tsunade... I'm not the one who's being unreasonable.'
.
.
.
'Maybe I am being unreasonable... I'll talk to him.' Natsuki thought to herself as she got dressed to search for Dairuko through the village, instead, she found Ayame walking around like a lost puppy.
"Ayame?" Natsuki asked, causing Ayame to turn around and give a fake smile.
"Ohayo, Natsuki." Ayame said.
"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be working?"
"I took the day off."
"Oh..."
"Natsuki, has Dairuko spoken to you yet?"
"No, he hasn't come home yet... I think he's still pissed."
"Oh..."
The two shared an awkward silence before Natsuki broke it with a question.
"What's wrong, Ayame?" Natsuki asked and Ayame seemed taken aback by the question.
"N-nothing, Natsuki."
"You can lie to your father but don't lie to me, Ayame."
"It's nothing, Natsuki I swear."
"Alright then, Ayame." Natsuki stopped persisting knowing that Ayame will come around eventually and for now she can focus on finding Dairuko.
After searching for almost two hours Natsuki found Dairuko in the grassy plains training with Hinata, though a bit hesitant at first Natsuki approached the two once they seemed to slow down and Dairuko was the first to spot Natsuki.
"Alright, Hinata take a lunch break. I'll be back soon." Dairuko said and Hinata nodded.
"I see you've taken a liking to the Hyuuga heiress." Natsuki said.
"Yeah... she has the Will of Fire within her, all she needs is a little push and she'll become the strongest Hyuuga in history."
"Are you going to give her that push?"
"Thinking about it... seeing as Jiraiya will be taking Naruto I might as well train Hinata... between us I got the better part of the deal."
"Dairuko-sensei... never thought I'd here someone call you that." Natsuki and Dairuko both gave a light laugh.
"Why are you really here, Natsuki?" Dairuko asked with all seriousness.
"I wanted to say I'm sorry about accusing Tsunade."
"No, you're not." Dairuko said then turned to leave.
"Yes, I am!" Natsuki exclaimed.
"No you're not, Natsuki... you were the first to jump to the conclusion that it was my mother who is the traitor rather than be on my side... family is everything to us, Natsuki!" Dairuko raised his voice.
"She's not my mother!" Natsuki's voice matched Dairuko's.
"And you're not my sister!" Dairuko screamed out before realising what he said "Natsuki, I-"
"No... you're right. I'm not your sister... I'm nobody." Natsuki said softly then walked away.
"Ah FUCK!" Dairuko exclaimed.
"Senpai?" Hinata said. She had heard the last part of the conversation and came over to check on Dairuko.
"WHAT?!" Dairuko screamed, scaring Hinata a bit. "Geez, I'm sorry, Hinata it's just..." Dairuko let out a heavy sigh "Let's call it a day okay? I'll be here same time tomorrow, feel free to join me or not. I won't blame you if you don't come back." Dairuko left before Hinata could talk.
Dairuko, after leaving the grassy plains ran all the way to the coast where he decimated a mountain out of anger and frustration.
"Why do I fuck up EVERYTHING!" Dairuko screamed as punched the mountain again and again.
"Because no one understands you." a voice said.
"Who the?" Dairuko turned around to see who it was, instead he saw himself.
"No one knows what you live with everyday of your life... the guilt... the rage... the pain."
"Shut up... just shut up you don't know me!"
"I believe I know you better than you know yourself..." the other Dairuko's face began to turn into Ren's "...brother." Ren let out a laugh and Dairuko's eyes snapped open.
"Where am I?" Dairuko looked around and saw an empty bottle of sake in his hand and that he was back in the motel that Ayame had got him yesterday. "That was fucked up." Dairuko then realised Ayame was sitting on the chair closest to the bed. She was asleep with a small book at her feet. 'She must have dropped it.' Dairuko thought. As he picked it up something fell out and when he looked at it he realised it was the flower he was supposed have given her all those years ago.
Dairuko's eyes went between the flower in his hand and Ayame. 'Did she know it was from me... maybe she just saw a dead flower and kept it as a... I don't know nor should I care it's too late now.' Dairuko thought.
Dairuko was so close to leaning in and kissing her, instead he laid her on the bed, covered her with the blanket and left to find Natsuki.
Natsuki was cleaning up after supper when a voice called her name.
"Natsuki."