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Nakama
Apr 4, 2011 1:43:46 GMT -6
Post by foxx on Apr 4, 2011 1:43:46 GMT -6
Hiromi apprehensively sunk into a chair. His rear rested on the very edge of the seat, his arms folding across his knees; if it came to it, he would leave as quickly as he arrived. "Sorry, Naruto," he said flatly, though he hardly sounded apologetic; "I've got no reason to want that man back here with us. I've never liked him. He's never been my friend." He let out a sharp sigh, running his hand through his russet hair. "And any filthy spawn of his is no better." He paused, shaking his head and lowering his tone. He made a disgusted face. "...The brat better not be hers..."
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Nakama
Apr 4, 2011 2:01:24 GMT -6
Post by Luke on Apr 4, 2011 2:01:24 GMT -6
"And what if it is, Hiromi?" asked Naruto. "Just because you don't like him...it doesn't give you any reason to pass judgement on a child you've never met before." he added, getting a bit angry. "I thought you would have realized that." Naruto shook his head and looked to Toshiro, who was now sitting down himself and absentmindedly twiddling his thumbs. Naruto sighed.
"So this is how it's going to be? I do this on my own?"
Toshiro looked up for a moment and half shrugged. "I wish I could say I was sorry, Naruto--but I'm not. I'm not about to care about a man who didn't care about anyone else." he stated. The moment Naruto opened his mouth Toshiro interjected. "He didn't care, Naruto. If he did...he wouldn't have left. What's the point of spending the time and energy fighting for something that doesn't..." he started.
Toshiro sighed a bit.
"Want to be fought for?"
Naruto shook his head. "It's not a lost cause, Toshiro! I know I can bring him back." he said. Toshiro shrugged, "Then by all means, go do it--I don't care." he stated. Toshiro looked up at him for a moment. "But answer me this, Naruto..." he said.
"...what?"
"...would your friend have done the same for you?"
"....I....I don't know."
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Nakama
Apr 4, 2011 14:11:07 GMT -6
Post by foxx on Apr 4, 2011 14:11:07 GMT -6
Hiromi remained silent as Naruto rounded on him for degrading the unknown child. His anger seemed unfazed, however. He simply shrugged and shook his head. He still felt the tide of rage as it ebbed and flowed, coming in great bursts and washing away occasionally to leave its beach barren and blank. No, it may not have been the child's fault, but it made the thought no less easier to stomach. Still, he thought...it was probably expected; it had been years that she'd been with him, so the boy probably...was... He closed his eyes, inhaling deeply and letting the breath out slowly.
Hiromi finally opened his eyes again, lifting his head and standing. He slipped one of his hands into a pocket, running the other through his hair again. He seemed calm, though it was an obvious struggle for him as he spoke, his words directed at Naruto.
"...Do what you think is right," he said quietly, holding up a single finger; "But...don't ask me to help you." He dropped his hand, chewing his bottom lip for a few seconds. "I'm being selfish. I don't care. I just hate to see him be catered to and cared about when all he's done is cause trouble and pain." Hiromi turned, striding toward where he knew the door to be. He reached for the knob and twisted, pushing the door open and leaving without another word. It closed softly behind him.
No more. Hiromi's stride was but a slow saunter, the one hand still stuffed into a pocket while the other swung with his steps. A sudden "skree" sounded above him, followed by fluttering, and he felt a familiar weight settle on one of his shoulders. He forced a blank smile, reaching up to stroke the harpy eagle that perched there. "Aa... There you are... Let's go home, ne?"
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Nakama
Apr 4, 2011 17:53:24 GMT -6
Post by Luke on Apr 4, 2011 17:53:24 GMT -6
Naruto watched Hiromi leave with, disappointment plastered onto his face. He looked over to Toshiro with an an almost pleading look but he received nothing from the Akisaka but another small shrug. "...I'm sorry you have to deal with this, Naruto...I really am. I hate to see you in such a dilemma." he said.
"Then help me, Toshiro...please?"
"I'm not going to waste my time on it, Naruto. I'm sorry."
Naruto sighed slightly and slumped down into a chair, his eyes on the ground. "...he's my friend, Toshiro. Even after all these years--I haven't given up hope. And now when an opportunity presents itself...I find out I have to do this alone." he stated. Toshiro took off his glasses and placed them down on the table infront of him before looking at his friend. "...he doesn't care about any of us, Naruto. All he cared about was revenge--now that he got it..." he started.
"...he would have come back by now if he wanted to is what I'm trying to get at. But if there's anyone who can bring him back it's you, I suppose. I know I'm not going to waste my time trying. Sorry, Naruto. It's not happening."
"...I'm sorry, too."
Naruto stood up and walked to the door and opened it before glancing over his shoulder at the man, who was now staring in the opposite direction as if nothing was wrong. "Have a good night, Naruto. Tell the wife and kids I said hi."
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Nakama
Apr 4, 2011 18:32:57 GMT -6
Post by foxx on Apr 4, 2011 18:32:57 GMT -6
--the next day-- "Are you going outside again?" "I'll be back early this time, Mother... Promise."
Keiji slipped out the front door, letting it close behind him with a soft 'click'. He looked across the clearing, shielding his eyes from the sun with a hand, and a small smile pulled at the corners of his mouth. I'm gonna try to find Kazuo again... Yesterday was fun. He paused, dropping his hand. ...Just as long as Father doesn't find out.
Pushing the thought aside, Keiji started off from the house, ducking under the shrubs and shuffling quickly down the rocky dropoff. Half an hour or so later, he arrived back at his "usual spot" beneath the tree, though he took care this time not to fall off the hill again. He looked down toward the village, and his heart sunk a bit: there were no children outside today playing. Not a single person could be seen, save the occasional adult further into the array of buildings. The boy sighed, slumping against the tree and watching.
For a while Keiji simply sat there, eying the spot he'd spent most of yesterday. He remembered the feeling he'd felt while running with the other children, and he smiled lightly. As reality struck him again, it faded, and he sat back once more. A few moments passed, and he sat up again, seeming to consider something. I wonder if... Hn... I don't think I...should I? Keiji sat up straighter, then pushed himself to his feet, taking an apprehensive step forward. Seconds that felt like minutes passed, and he took a deep breath as he slid down the hill and started toward the village walls.
I don't...have to go all the way in... I can just...peek, right...?
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Nakama
Apr 5, 2011 1:04:48 GMT -6
Post by Luke on Apr 5, 2011 1:04:48 GMT -6
"Bingo!" Kazuo mumbled to himself after catching site of the boy making his way to the village. Having had a great deal of fun the day before, Kazuo had decided to visit the same spot as before in hopes of spotting Keiji again--and here he was! Standing up himself, made his way over to meet the boy--'I wonder if dad would want to talk to him! He seemed like he was pretty interested the other the day!' he thought to himself as he waved vigorously to the boy, trying to signal to him.
"Hey! Keiji! Hey how's it going!?" he called out to him with a large grin on his face.
"Come back to play tag again?" he asked, his grin only growing in size.
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Nakama
Apr 5, 2011 7:34:30 GMT -6
Post by foxx on Apr 5, 2011 7:34:30 GMT -6
"Hey! Keiji! Hey how's it going!?"
[/b] Keiji nearly had a heart attack, coming to an abrupt halt at the sudden yell. He'd been more or less sneaking toward the village, and, having been focused solely on being careful as he was, the sudden exclamation easily startled him. He looked over to see Kazuo approaching, and a small sense of relief washed over him; the insanity of the moment passed, and he smiled lightly in acknowledgment. "Hi, Kazuo," he greeted the boy. Keiji still appeared very apprehensive, but he seemed much less nervous than the previous day. As Kazuo asked about another game of tag, Keiji shrugged his shoulders slightly, looking over to the spot they had played yesterday. "I guess so..." he replied; "But no one is here, so... It doesn't really matter... I kinda just...wanted to see the village again." [/blockquote][/size]
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Nakama
Apr 6, 2011 22:11:45 GMT -6
Post by Luke on Apr 6, 2011 22:11:45 GMT -6
"Oh!" Kazuo grinned as a though entered his head. "How about I give you a tour of the village?" he asked after a moment, his grin growing from ear to ear. Without waiting for an answer, he took a few steps forward before turning around to look at him. "Come on! It'll be fun! I'll show you all the neat places!" he added.
"Oh! And I could introduce you to my friends! You were pretty fast during tag yesterday--I'm sure they'd be impressed!"
Suddenly he thought of his father again--having been so interested yesterday, the thought entered his mind that he might want to meet this new kid. "Well? Come on!" he called out, gesturing for him to follow.
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Nakama
Apr 6, 2011 23:41:07 GMT -6
Post by foxx on Apr 6, 2011 23:41:07 GMT -6
Into the village...? But I said just a peek... I wasn't...going to go all the way inside the village... I'll get into trouble...but I wanna see... It's not like anyone knows me...right? I can... I can just see it once... No one will know but me...
Keiji's mind ceased its race, slowing to an excited hum. Still appearing a bit apprehensive, the boy struggled with a nod. "O-okay..." he answered, smiling lightly; "That sounds nice... It looks really big from the hill, though..." He looked upward, dark eyes scanning the top of a rather tall set of buildings. As he looked down, he noticed Kazuo had already started off toward Konoha. Keiji blinked, then scampered after him.
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Nakama
Apr 7, 2011 0:22:21 GMT -6
Post by Luke on Apr 7, 2011 0:22:21 GMT -6
"Great, follow me!" Kazuo said before taking off down the road. As he went by he explained the surroundings of a few buildings. After walking for a few minutes, he stopped at a tiny little building with a sign that said, "Ichiraku Ramen". "...this is where my dad takes me all the time! The best bowl of ramen in the area...well, probably the whole Shinobi world--at least that's what my dad says!"
"Maybe we'll stop by on the way back and we'll get a bowl--my treat!"
After continuing on, he pointed toward the hospital. "Yep. That's where all of our injured go! My dad talked about being there a lot as a kid!" he said. After saying that, he paused for a moment, getting another idea. "Hey! Let's go talk to my dad! I'm sure he'd be really excited to see you!" he said. "Whaddya say?" he asked, the grin still plastered on his face.
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Nakama
Apr 7, 2011 0:38:03 GMT -6
Post by foxx on Apr 7, 2011 0:38:03 GMT -6
Keiji seemed completely enthralled by the tour. His eyes never rested, constantly wide and darting to and fro. He'd never seen so many people in one place--or so many people period--and the buildings were so huge in some places. He made sure to stick as close to Kazuo as he could for fear of getting lost. In the thrill and excitement, Keiji's mind had once again been wiped clean of worry. He smiled again.
Ramen? Keiji paused, staring at the small shop for a few moments. He opened his mouth to ask just what this ramen was, but Kazuo was already moving along. Ah, well. He'd said perhaps they could have some later, whatever it was. It could wait. ...but it sure did smell good.
The hospital awed Keiji just as much as the rest of the buildings; this one was larger, and a bit nicer, than most others. Just as well, it constantly had people filing in and out of it. Hospital... Like a doctor... But my mother does that for us... They have lots of people going in there.
"Hey! Let's go talk to my dad"! Having been lost in thought again, Keiji was caught off guard by the suggestion. He looked over to Kazuo, tearing his eyes from the huge buildings. He did a strange motion, something that resembled a shrug, then nodded slightly. "Yeah... If...if that's okay, I guess I can..." he replied, pausing briefly before continuing; "Why would he wanna meet me, though?"
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Nakama
Apr 7, 2011 1:20:41 GMT -6
Post by Luke on Apr 7, 2011 1:20:41 GMT -6
"Oh, it's his job to meet the people coming in and out of the village!" Kazuo replied. Continuing on for a few more seconds, he looked over his shoulder, "Well that and I figure it's only right to introduce my new friend!" he added before taking off. They walked for several minutes, a large tower coming into view. Kazuo pointed toward it and smiled, "This is it! This is where my dad works!" he said before he quickened his pace.
Moving up the steps, he waved to the two shinobi standing guard outside before stepping into the tower. Several more minutes of walking, they reached the front door to his office. Stopping at the door, he turned to the boy, the smile still apparent on his face. "Alright. Here we go!" he said before throwing open the door and walking in. "Dad! I want to show you someone!" he said. Naruto looked up from the large stack of papers on his desk and looked confused for a moment.
"Now who exactly could tha-" he started before looking behind the boy to the child behind him. "...he looks just like him." thought Naruto, his eyes widening slightly. It took everything he had to not jump for joy--there truly was hope! He could tell without even checking for the crest on his back. This was certainly the son of Sasuke.
"Well hello there!" he said, attempting to sound as nice as possible. "My name is Naruto. I am Kazuo's father. You must be his new friend--what's your name?"
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Nakama
Apr 7, 2011 18:57:15 GMT -6
Post by foxx on Apr 7, 2011 18:57:15 GMT -6
Keiji thought the hospital was big; so far it had been the biggest building he'd seen. That being said, he was unprepared for the Hokage's mansion. As he followed Kazuo down the dirt street, he quickly noticed the mansion coming up over the horizon line. His dark eyes grew wide, and he picked up his pace to walk alongside Kazuo. "You live in there?" he asked in obvious awe; "It's so big..."
Keiji was silent for the short remainder of the walk, merely admiring the enormous mansion. They reached the doors, and Keiji's awe-tune mellowed slightly; he seemed nervous again and was very quiet.
The inside of the building, as Keiji expected, was also large and spacious. The walls held many windows that allowed the sun to brighten the room, paintings covered the other parts of wall, and any corners of the rooms were full of shelves or scroll piles. Whoever lived here seemed to read a good bit.
Keiji followed Kazuo up a staircase, also well-lit and decorated; he began to wonder when they would stop, when finally they did at a large door. Kazuo walked in and Keiji followed, his hands twiddling anxiously in front of him as he looked around the room. Books lined the walls and scrolls and sheets of paper cluttered the corners. At the back of the room, a set of large windows kept the area well-lit, and in front of the windows was a large desk--also covered in stacks of paper. Behind the desk sat a man, and Keiji wondered briefly if this was Kazuo's father; his question was quickly answered as Kazuo addressed the man as such.
The nervousness returned as Kazuo stepped aside to let Naruto see Keiji; he immediately felt the spotlight fall on him, as well as the man's strangely astounded gaze.
"You must be his new friend--what's your name?"
The cordial tone in Naruto's voice calmed Keiji's nerves a bit. He wasn't scary at all. But why did he seem so stunned?
"Keiji..." the boy answered quietly.
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Nakama
Apr 8, 2011 0:17:28 GMT -6
Post by Luke on Apr 8, 2011 0:17:28 GMT -6
Naruto nodded slightly. "Keiji, huh?" Naruto said with a small smile. The man looked at the child for a moment or two, hardly able to believe just how much he looked like his father--except the look in his eyes. His eyes were definitely different. With another reassuring smile Naruto moved away from his desk and held out a hand for the boy to shake.
"Well, it's nice to meet you."
"So...I take it that you aren't from the village?" asked Naruto, sitting down on his desk. "I bet Kazuo showed you around a bit before stopping by here, right? I also bet your probably got a quick look at Ichiraku Ramen." he added before laughing a bit. He was very careful to not ask about where the boy was from...that would surely scare him off. It would come later--all in due time.
"Anyway, how are you liking Konoha so far, Keiji?"
Not a second later, the door opened and in walked Akisaka Toshiro. "Naruto! I would like a mission. It's been too long and I'm a little tired of sitting on my a-" Toshiro stopped abruptly, catching sight of the back of the strange boy's shirt. Clearing his throat, he walked a little bit farther into the room. "...is that okay?" Naruto looked at him for a moment before nodding slightly. "Yeah. Just give me a bit and I'll look through some paperwork." he replied. After a moment he motioned to the boy and then looked over at Toshiro, "This is Keiji, Toshiro. He is Kazuo's new friend." he stated, but gave Toshiro a momentary look that said, 'This is him!'.
Toshiro nodded slightly and moving forward to the desk and stopped at the boy's side. "I see. Well, it's nice that Kazuo found another friend. Welcome to Konoha, Keiji." he replied.
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Nakama
Apr 8, 2011 1:02:31 GMT -6
Post by foxx on Apr 8, 2011 1:02:31 GMT -6
Again, someone reached out a hand, as if he wanted something. Keiji scratched the back of his head, glancing from the hand to Naruto's face uncertainly. "No, I... I don't live here..." he answered afterward, hoping to avoid the awkward gesture that he still didn't quite understand; it had worked with Kazuo. He nodded simply at the rest of the talk, his gaze falling on the floor frequently. Before he was able to answer the question about liking Konoha, the doors behind him opened, and he moved to the side a bit, watching the new arrival with curious and wary eyes. He was quiet as the man addressed Naruto, then turned to him.
"I see. Well, it's nice that Kazuo found another friend. Welcome to Konoha, Keiji."
This man, Keiji noted, wasn't mean either, but...something about him seemed less warm as he was looked upon. Keiji glanced between the two men, slipping his hands into his pockets and chewing the inside of his cheek. "Nice to meet you..." he muttered, directing his words toward Toshiro. He fell silent for a time, then,
"...Did... Am I...doing something wrong?" he suddenly asked, seeming genuinely curious; "Everyone...keeps looking at me strangely. I...hope I haven't upset you..."
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