Hey guys!
Strong (Boy): Okay, the name 'N' might not have exactly gone around much but it's just a temporary name for Yang and her family. He will remember his name, that we're certain.
Kind (Girl): Someone asked why Naruto had only 8 tails, well if you read the first chapter than you'll know Naruto gave one to Salem. In this fanfiction, Naruto is like a dense mass of power and well… you'll find out what he really is in future updates.
Strong (Boy): Hope you guy enjoy.
Disclaimer: We do not own Naruto and Ruby.
Chapter-4
Being kids can be hard, more than most adults could understand. And one girl name Yang Xian Long couldn't bear the jealously in her.
She didn't like the boy the moment he came especially entering with her late step mother's missing white cloak. She felt abandon and angry seeing the cloak on some stranger.
Things did not even start well as the boy stayed longer with them. She saw her adorable sister easily taking a shine to the young boy and spending more time with him than her.
She saw how he helped her father during house chores and successfully made the man cry at how there was someone other than himself doing house choirs for once. She felt jealous and try to upstage him only to end in disaster.
In her eyes, the young boy was like a nuisance she had to get rid off but those thoughts only came to slow down as she watched the boy make her family so happy especially since her mother's death.
She was a smart girl, even at such a young age she knew the missing spot of a mother in their home made her father and uncle tough to get through every day.
She stopped her advances of pranks and let things be, though it doesn't mean that she wasn't going all chummy with him but she'll let him be.
"Hey Yang, we've been wondering. Is the new kid your brother or something?"
A couple of kids were playing and goofing around in a playground close to their school. One of them was Yang Xian Long who was trying her best to fit in with her cool friends.
"Pfft! No… he's my… Uncle's… friend's kid. Yeah, that's what he is."
Since they were still a bunch of kids, they could easily lie just as they could easily believe a lie. So the bunch of kids believed the sole girl in their group of pre-mature kid's gang.
"We're gonna play with him for a while."
"He's being kissing up to the teacher."
"He also has been getting a lot of gold stars. The prat!"
"….." The young girl raises an eye brown at their intent and felt annoyed. "Sorry but I'm not interested."
"Fine, miss~ yang~ we can do this with just us guys anyway."
Children are still children and they can easily get jealous to one another. But some pranks causes much more problem than anyone expects.
Days smashingly went by the house of a bunch that was quite a mixture. One dad, two kids and their drunken uncle along with a little addition with fox tails. Though, the uncle sometimes has to go to his work taking a while to come back while the rest stayed and lived there lives as normal as they can be.
"Yang."
"Yeah…?" A girl while lying down on a couch playing on a scroll peeks up to her father.
"Can you explain… this?" The man gesture to a young boy with his blond hair all wet while his body was covered in mud and candy wrappers as well as glue.
Surprisingly, the boy wasn't even sad or mad for what had happened instead he just wanted to clean himself.
"He's doesn't look bother by i-!"
"Did you do it?"
"W-What?"
"I mean, did you do this to him? Tell me now."
"….." The young girl was not happy at how her father just changed his tone at her. She bites her lips and felt really hurt her father taking someone else side other than his daughters.
"…." The girl shook her head.
"Then who did it?"
"…"
"…"
"Yang?"
"It was the other kids… They put something weird in his lunch and pushed him in a trashcan."
"What!?" Tai Xian Long was appalled at the things he was hearing.
"Why didn't you stopped them!? And weren't you supposed to come home together too?"
The man was quite angry since the little fanus boy they had took in due to certain reasons came back after 7 PM and raining from school when he was busy at his work place.
"…."
"…" The girl cheeks flatted in anger with tears coming down her eyes.
"Yang, answer m-!" The man was suddenly thrown a pillow to his face.
"Why should I?! You and Uncle care more about him than me!"
She didn't do anything yet she was being yelled at. She did her best to not get jealous but when something like this happens, she couldn't take it.
The girl immediately left to her room with tears falling down. It was hard for her since she figured some secret she wasn't meant to find and her family was over worrying about a kid that just came a month ago and even her adorable sister was drawn away from her.
"*sigh* what is wrong with me…" The man was not the perfect dad and sometimes spoke out loud due to stress. He seriously needed to reconcile with his eldest daughter.
…
"….." The boy with the dirty fox tails follows the sound of crying. He wanted to clean up first but hearing the sound of whimpering was too much for him to ignore.
"….." He peeked into a room and found the young blond hair girl crying tears and muff-lying her voice onto a pillow so that no one would hear her. Unfortunately, the young boy had good hearing and heard her crying.
She was always mean to him but the boy never really felt hurt or offended. Though, he never could get her to talk and play like he did with Ruby. Thinking she didn't like him, the boy decided to not push on but now was different.
"Are you okay?"
"…." The young girl tried to quickly wipe away her tears before glaring at the young boy who peeked on her from her door.
"Go away!" The girl threw anything that was close to her. She wasn't in the mood to see anyone especially the person who took her spot in the family away.
"ah!"
"…." Hearing him whelp in pain, the girl stopped to see a cut on his cheek. But the most surprising thing was that the little boy just sat there and endures all of the things thrown to him.
"…." Her hands stopped and a questioned popped up inside her head.
"Why aren't you mad? Why aren't you fighting back?"
She asked because she never seen him resist back to the other kids that had done the things to him for the past few days. She didn't help but she was still curious to why he didn't fight back.
"….." The boy thought why and came to one of the few things he could still remember.
"When Milady was younger, I think… she told me hurting back only hurts more..."
"….." Yang while fighting back her tears calms down a bit. "Mi…lady? Was she your mom?"
"What's a mom?" The boy honestly asked.
"You're kidding… right?" The girl now with full attention on the boy due to the subject of 'mom' she felt a little calmer.
"…." The boy shook his head with a confused look.
"There… like a better, prettier dad okay."
"…." The boy nods with curiosity which made the girl talk a little more about the subject.
"… and they make really good cookies and food. Giving big hugs and kisses when you're feeling down, they always tell you story when you go to sleep at night…"
The boy attentively listens to the young girl with a smile. "…. and wash away bad dreams like super heroes. One time I had this really weird and… my…. Why are you smiling at me?"
"Oh… ah… it's because you look so happy when you talk about moms."
"!" The girl felt a little flustered and stood up on her bed before turning away from the boy. She felt stupid for acting so chummy to her enemy.
"Stop saying really weird things!"
"ah… I'm sorry."
"…." The girl now felt guilty again and turned to the boy, "You're really different from the other boys."
"?"
"…" Seeing that he didn't understand her, the girl dropped it. "Never mine."
"Well… I never thought I'd see the day when you take a boy to your room kid."
"aah!"
"Yang's doing what?!"
"!?"
"A boy in Yang's bed?"
"!?" The blond hair girl felt her face redden all over as she stared at her smirking Uncle, a surprise father and a sleepy little sister. The boy in her room clueless as he was still had his attention on her which did not help anything to resolve the complication.
"…."
"…"
*slam!* the girl threw everyone out and locked her door while leaning on the door trying to calm her over heated face and mind.
"Yang…"
"I'm not in the mood right now dad!"
"No, no, I came to apologize. I'm sorry about earlier."
"….."
"I just wanted you to get along with N, heck we don't even know his real name. I'm sorry if you felt left out but know this…"
"…."
"I'll always be your dad and nothing's gonna changed that. That's what I came to say, *sigh* night."
"…" The girl just sat their leaning on her door. From a second person view, the girl may seem sad but truthfully she felt a little better than earlier. Her mind was also filled with the young boy's small smile for her.
Inside a gamble house where a lot of thugs and less respectable huntsmen and huntress gather, we find one man known for his drunken habits and skills as a huntsman sitting on a round table along with others.
"Ladies and well… not so gentlemen, we're down to four players on our monthly poker tournament and the stakes has never been high." A cute poster girl of the place watched the people sitting around the table, ready to start the round to decide the winner.
"No player is giving anything away. Faces so still, they may as well be carve from stone."
As the poster girl place several cards to let the players know, most of which were smirking.
"You've been lucky for the past few weeks but no one's luck last forever, Branwen."
"Haha… I would have said the same thing if it wore for the fact that it was never me playing the cards."
"What are you talking about?"
The huntsman smirks at the large man sitting across him.
"Hasn't anyone notice the pipsqueak sitting between by the legs?"
Surprising only the poster girl and Qrow knew of the young boy with eight fox tails sitting between the man's legs while holding the cards.
"Mr. Qrow why are we here again?" The boy with blond hair while holding a few cards stare at the man.
"Shhss… Shhss… we're just playing. Can't let you go to school with no cash."
"Is it important?"
"Of course, its how most people can live an earnest life." Most of the people around snicker at the man's stupid joke to the boy.
"Okay…" The boy just felt confused and decided to go along since he trusted the man to a great degree which some people tend to find strange.
"…."
"…"
"…"
The other three players made their calls and came out with a Full house, a bluff that didn't work and a four of a kind.
The big man smiled at his closing victory but all soon fall the moment the young boy between Qrow's legs puts down a pair of cards.
"Royal flush baby!" The drunken huntsman smiled at the young kid's cards.
"Did we win?" The young boy asked but was only able to watch the adult man giving out taunting words to the other players.
"Here sweetie." The poster girl happily gave the young boy his winnings before glaring back to the man. "Mr. Branwen, your band from the gamble house."
"E-Eh?" The man stopped his taunting and made a surprised look, "I am?"
"Yes, I warned you last time that bringing minor to a place like this can get us shut down."
The woman was quite angry at the man before turning back to the young boy who was holding a tray that was about to fall. "But you… on the other hand can come back when you're older."
"…." The poster girl was indeed a fine woman and Qrow did not hesitate to ogle her retreating form.
"You're lucky kid."
"I am?" The boy cleans the kiss the lady left on his forehead which most of the men around felt jealous.
"Yeah, beside the girl, you got powers that can cancel misfortune… and get royal flush every time you play. Man, I wish I could be on your shoes."
"….."
"Kid?"
The man looked around to find him staring happily at a few flowers that were growing outside the gamble house.
"What's wrong kid?"
"Mr. Qrow, why did you lie to the lady?" The young boy while using his tails to helped the dying flowers asked the man.
"Lie? She didn't even ask me out."
"No, about her brother." The young boy sadly glances up to the man. He was a kid who would like the truth no matter what but wasn't sure how others take it.
"Kid… how did you." The man wasn't sure how the boy knew since he secretly told the poster girl about her brother's misfortune.
"I don't know…" the young boy was a mystery being and even the man who has seen a lot can't even be more surprise. "But I felt it. You lied that her brother died an honorable death as a huntsman."
"Why did you lie?" The boy felt sad since he could feel regret and solemn pain in Qrow and the lady inside the gambling house.
"….." The man now knows he really can put down his foot and say that the young boy he had picked up had no common sense.
*thump* the boy heard a loud heart beat in his chest but ignores it and wait for the man's reply.
"…." The man dropped the bag of money beside the kid and let out a tired breath, "Avoiding punishment is mainly the reason why most people lie… but do you know that there are different kinds of lie?"
"…." The boy shook his head.
"Compulsive lies, narcissistic lies and white lies. These are what most people use these days. But what I told today was a little white lie."
"But ly-!"
"I know, I know, lying is bad and all that nonsense but sometimes people lie for other's sake. For instance, I lied because she won't be able to handle the truth and you should know how most people react to the truth."
"Really?"
"Yeah…"
"But if she found out, won't she…"
"Hate me?" The man cuts in with his ever tired look, "Then I guess she will. Nothing I can do much about that."
"….."
"Even you might lie someday." The man didn't really care if his words were taken in by a child. He was sure he gave a good enough advice instead.
"…."
"But a kid like you might lie for a good reason." The man chuckles seeing his words might actually happen.
"….." The boy then stretched out his palm on the man's chest pulsing something like a dim golden glow.
"Kid?"
"…."
"…"
"I hope, one day… you can get better." Tears fell down the boy's eyes as he stares into the man's soul. He had always felt the man's ever pain within. He didn't know how but he could feel certain people's pain, their anguish.
His tails enlarge as well as giving off a warm glow while gently wrapping the man around. It soothes the numbing pain in him and Qrow felt slightly better which in fact surprise him.
"…." His sudden words threw the man out of wits but guess he can't categorize the kid as a kid.
"I can't exactly call you a cry baby kid but if it can stop the water works, I think I'll be fine."
"…" The boy nods with a sad smile and so did the man.
Though the pleasant moment was quickly ruined, "So, this is how you got all that money."
"huh? Oh! Hey Tai, fancy seeing you here. Hehe… yeah… I can explain."
"….." The father of two girls blankly looked at his friend, "I just got a call from school asking why N skipped school. I don't even want to know why but let's get before the girls come home."
Without wasting more time, the three left seeing it was already about to reach evening.
The Next Day
"Everyone settle down."
Inside a classroom full of kids, a teacher came in with a very elderly man who was quickly given respect.
"The principle here has something to say."
"….."
"….."
Murmuring began to spread around the class as they were all wondering why the principal of their school came to their class specifically.
"Yesterday, a very important artifact was missing only to be found shattered outside the school back field."
"…."
Some of the kids in the room gulped at the sudden words out of fear but no one saw them since most of the kids were confused.
"This artifact was a very important item I bought using a large sum of money." No one saw the old man's quick smirk since all of them even the teacher was alerted when he mentioned money and why he came to their class.
"Seeing that your class was the last one to go home the other day for the daily volunteering school clean up, I would like the perpetrator to come out clean and the punishment will also be light."
"!" They started to panic while their teacher tried her best to calm them down.
"Everyone please calm down, it seems I have to take more measures."
"…."
"…" They all waited for his next words, he wasn't the best like teacher in the school. More specifically, he was a mean and strict person to the students.
"This was found stuck at the spot." The principal showed them a small strip of blond hair. "The one who did it left a little hair."
"…."
"…" The moment they saw the hair, most of the kids immediately look to one girl. There were only two kids in the classroom that had blond hair and one of them was a well known trouble maker.
"It's Yang's!"
"Yeah, it has to be her."
"She always hangs out with her gang."
"She's always mean, that must be hers."
"huh?" The girl was quickly accused by her classmate, which shocked her. She was sort of a trouble maker and bully when she joined the school gang but she never did something like touching other's properties let alone breaks them.
She stood up angry at their accusation. She turned to her friends that were also part of the kid's gang she was in but none of them stood up for her instead they all avoided her gaze. She immediately knew then it was their fault but decided to just glare at them.
"….." The teacher and principle look at one another before asking the girl to come forward until a hand of a boy with eight fox tails was raised.
"So that's why she's being like that."
"Yeah, it's the first time I've ever seen someone pout so long."
"No, no, remember summer of 2nd year. That was a pout that lasted a whole week."
"Right, Summer did that until you and Raven patch up. I remember."
"Yeah…"
"How long has this gone?"
"About an hour, man… she's really stubborn."
"…"
"SO… what should we do about Mc. Pouty face over there?"
Both men came home to see a pouting girl glaring down at a boy sitting in a seiza position again on the floor while she sat on the couch squeezing on a pillow very hard to show her displeasure.
"Looks like it'll handle itself. I need to get Ruby to bed first."
"I guess… I'll stay on the porch."
Night already came but the girl did not stop and also didn't let the boy get up from his position. She was furious but seeing that she's still a child most of her attempt for any angry expressions were adorable.
"…" Tai could not even make the girl get up or take the boy away. Both kids had to eat on their place while Ruby occasionally came around and played with the boy's enlarge tails. Tai was a dad but the people around him don't exactly listen to him sometimes.
"….." But the girl eventually fell asleep with a tired expression after a long day with the kneeling boy.
"I heard, thank you for standing up for her." Tai had taken the liberty to take the sleeping girl to her bed.
"?" The boy had a questionable look as he wondered why he needed to be thanked for such a simple reason.
"…." Looking at his sleeping child so peacefully, the man couldn't help but smile happily. "She's been stubborn ever since her mom didn't come home. I was worried since kids her age don't normally become rebellious so early… *sigh*"
"….." A short silence was made as the man could see some resemblances to the young girl's mother.
"I think Mr. Qrow was right about you being a great father."
"…." The man smiles and rubbed the boy's head. "Thanks, you sure you don't want to…?"
"…" The boy shook her head as his tails enlarged and carries a sleeping drunk Qrow before placing the man on the couch.
"Well, good night."
"….."
While everyone in the house were asleep, the little one stares up to the ceiling wondering the many things he had experience while staying with them. He couldn't really sleep after all the things he had learned, how lying wasn't always a bad thing and how loving families can be.
"I wonder what Milady would've said…" He might've lost his memories but he couldn't for some reason forget the person he treasured for so long. The experience here with the family was something very unusual to his common sense.
It wasn't until the sun rise that the boy finally fell asleep under the seiza position.
And done!
See ya next time!