It was times like these, he thought, that it would be nice to have some of theirs. His young, attention-deprived mind wondered how it would feel to have one of those 'old people' wrap their arms around his small frame. Would it be warm? He hoped so…though snow was rare in the village, this time of the year was always chilly.
Now that he thought about it, why couldn't he just get one? Sure there was that minor problem of being an orphan but he could go and just find him suitable 'old people', right? But, the more he thought about it, the more depressing his thoughts became.
Would they really hug him?
Countless glares have burned holes into his head. For some obscure reason, the villagers seemed to hate him. True they never really outright said it, but his orphaned self could feel it; taste it, even.
The blond shuddered as he recalled the vegetable he bought for lunch: a spoiled tomato, sold to him by a vendor that even overpriced it. However, little Naruto would never know about that particular unfairness since the vendor shooed (more like shoved) him out of his store after the little blond paid.
A draft made him shiver, causing him to take his mind off such depressing thoughts and back into his previous musings.
The blond pulled his blankets closer towards his body for more warmth. After curling into a ball (he figured that maybe that would be the best position for heat conservation), he started making a list of people who would actually bother to give him a hug (namely the people he knew cared about him).
Umm…there's always old man Hokage! He thought merrily. But…he's been so busy lately…he doesn't even visit me once a month like before… little Naruto pouted. Since he's so busy, I'll just ask another person! Let's see… there is… well… there is… um…
His pout turned into a displeased frown.
I… I could have sworn there was another one… is the old man really the only one I have? The boy abruptly stopped his trail of thoughts. I…shouldn't really be thinking like this… I'm sure things could have been worse… I could have had no one…
A smile slowly crept on his whiskered face. Since I only have the old man… I guess I should expand my family!
With that thought burned into his mind (and a written reminder on his small palm), the little blond boy re-tucked himself under his blankets, heart warm enough to prevent the cold from creeping in.
He woke up the next day, yawning as he did so, scratching the back of his head. He wondered why he felt warm then shrugged. He would remember later, he was unbelievable (or so he tells himself), after all. Why, he even remembered to drink his milk in the morning! He grinned broadly; today was going to be a good day.
The little blond boy continued his morning ritual. Rubbing off the remainder of sleep from his eyes, he started heating the water and pouring it into an instant ramen cup and waited (Really, he hated the three minutes it took for instant ramen to be prepared). After the agonizing three minute wait, he proceeded to eat it at a relatively normal rate (wolfing it down).
After properly disposing the empty ramen cup (leaving it on the table), he continued on to the final part of his morning ritual, taking a bath. The little blond frowned. He didn't particularly like to take a bath since last week. For some reason, the heater broke down again. When the little boy went to ask the landlady (who scowled whenever they saw each other …honestly, couldn't she forget about that little prank? He just wanted her to warm up to him!), she just shooed him away saying that 'little demons shouldn't bother their superiors'. The blond's frown deepened. Now that he thought about it, wasn't it odd? The way everybody seemed to ignore or insult him… he shrugged again. One day, people would stop ignoring him…and that day…that day, he would become the Hokage!
Children are ignorant and ignorance is bliss, no wonder children are so happy!
As he stepped into his tiny bathroom, he noticed something out of the norm: there was a black smudge around his left eye…which lead the little boy to thinking once again (which he was never really good at, anyway). A black smudge covering his eye must have meant something… he massaged his chin with his hand (imitating old man Hokage since it seemed to help him think). Numerous thoughts ran through his mind.
'Why did it take three minutes for instant ramen to be prepared?'
'Why wasn't the number one pronounced as 'own'?'
'Why was there another black smudge on his chin?'
Realization hit him like a bullet train.
"AHH! Somebody beat me up while I was asleep again!" the little blond wailed, flailing his arms wildly. "Noooo! How did this happen!" Really… why did he have to be a heavy sleeper!
It was then that the evil black smudge on his hand made itself known. "Huh? Why is there a smudge on my hand…" he examined it closely. The more he thought about it, something seemed to ring in the back of his head.
…
…
…
…
"Oh well…" Little Naruto left it at that and proceeded to take a bath, completely erasing the smudge on his hand. Thinking hard always made his head hurt.
Ten minutes later found the little boy jogging around the Hidden Leaf Village, trying to remember something he told himself to do today. As he passed by a weapon's store, a certain set of explosives caught his eyes. A prank forming in his head, the little blond's grin widened. Today was a good day.
Naruto ran through the streets towards the area where most of the 'snot-nosed, uptight hotshots' (powerful clans) lived. Running past the numerous villagers (who scowled and whispered darkly at him as he passed) and clan mansions (one day, he was going to own one of those!), little Naruto found the one clan he was looking for.
"Uchiha Clan" he read the name. Like the early morning sunrise, his smile slowly stretched into a devious grin. He remembered that fateful day in the playground quite clearly…
It had been a fairly normal day for the young six year old. He would go to the playground and try to get the other kids to play with him. Sure he might have been annoying the other kids by throwing sand at them (especially that dog-boy, Inuzuka Kiba) and shouting "Desert Coffin!" (Oh how he'd rue that stunt years later when he'd encounter the young redhead Kazekage, Gaara of the Sand), but he really, really wanted someone to play with. They, in turn, would retaliate by also throwing sand at him, grinning madly. Soon their children's playground turned into a mini battle zone and the children split into two teams; the Watchers (lead by the lazy bum/genius, Nara Shikamaru) and the Players (who fought amongst themselves to be declared as the 'leader'). The Watchers would usually sit back and pretend to not be interested at the small war zone, placing candy bets here and there, while the Players continued fighting. One of the Players (Naruto most especially) would throw sand at the Watchers to try to get them to join.
His fun had continued for a while before HE came. Clad in a blue shirt with a fan printed on the back, a raven haired boy of his age picked up a rock and threw it at the blond's back. Naruto yelped as the rock made impact only to get hit by sand in the face (good thing he decided to wear his goggles). Everybody seemed to think of the same idea and the little blond found himself buried under the sand. The other kids, satisfied that the war was over now that General Dead Last was 'sand-under', left the boy there to continue with their own games prior to the impromptu war.
Naruto looked up from his spot on the ground only to see the face of the boy who threw that stone at him look down at him mockingly, surrounded by his equally young fan girls. Naruto glared harder as the young boy just smirked and turned around, disappearing along with the small group of girls.
The little blond would always remember that day as his first meeting with the young Uchiha. The blond would also remember that name as if burned into his mind. Uchiha Sasuke. Oh how that brat would pay for humiliating him (not to mention ruining his first experience of actually having the other children play with him)! And pay he will today! The little boy cackled madly before resuming his business look. It wouldn't do him any good if he got distracted.
Baby blue eyes scanned the vicinity, trying to find the best place to lay his devious prank. It was a fairly simple ploy that relied on only one object, after all. Even the procedure was simple!
First, he'd plant a small homemade bomb filled with sleeping powder on a patch of ground. He'd then lure Sasuke towards it one way or another. Once that phase was complete, Sasuke would be rendered a helpless little boy. This was when the real fun would start since the little blond could technically do whatever he wanted from this point on…but he'd stick to the plan first (after all, he considered himself a pro). Naruto would then take the boy out of sight before taking out his marker and draw his trademark swirls on the boy's face then dye his hair pink! Naruto could just give himself a pat on the back for his prank; heck, why not? The little blond reached an arm to his back to pat it.
Whoever said the phrase "hell hath no furylike a woman scorned" never met Uzumaki Naruto.
The little blond found a spot on the ground and decided to plant the bomb there. Reaching behind his back to take it out of his bag, he realized one thing.
"Ah! I forgot my bag!" momentarily fuming, the little boy sped back towards his apartment to retrieve his forgotten bag of tricks. Naruto would soon regret his untimely departure as his target casually strolled out the front door and went to the opposite direction, completely oblivious as to how he had escaped the little blond's wrath.
"AHAH!" Naruto triumphantly shouted, as he returned minutes later, before covering his mouth. He had to keep quiet else his prank be ruined. Quickly scanning the vicinity, the blond found the perfect and most effective spot.
Quickly digging a hole and placing the bomb in it, little Naruto put the finishing touches by covering it with the welcome mat. Satisfied, the little blond quickly climbed a nearby tree and hid.
It took seconds to think of the prank. It took minutes to make the bomb. It took hours to wait for the victim.
"Where the heck is he!" little Naruto growled under his breath. By the sun's position, it was nearing noon yet there was still no sign of the little brat. Suddenly, as if Kami-sama himself came to help the little blond with his plot, a raven-haired figure entered the compound. Naruto did his best to contain his childish giggles. Holy vengeance would soon be upon the arrogant Uchiha!
If the little blond just bothered to pay more attention at 'Sasuke', he would have noticed that 'Sasuke' seemed to bit too tall for a normal six year old. In fact, 'Sasuke' stood a good several inches taller than a regular six year old. That, together with the fact that 'Sasuke' was wearing a different set of clothing should have made the blond realize that 'Sasuke' wasn't Sasuke.
Of course, the blond would never notice these facts.
"Closer… closer…just a bit more…" the little blond mentally chanted. Sweat dripped down his forehead. One drop… another drop… and another… and he started sweating bullets as indifferent onyx eyes stared at his own startled blue.
The sky opened and Kami-sama said: "I hate you, Naruto."
"Brat, what are you doing?" 'Sasuke' questioned him evenly, no hint of warmth nor cold in his voice.
"Eh-heheh… you're not Sasuke, are ya?" Naruto grinned sheepishly.
"No."
They stared at each other. Naruto carefully observed 'Sasuke'. Finally noticing certain facts about the older boy in front of him, the little blond concluded that 'Sasuke' wasn't Sasuke.
"So you're really not Sasuke, right?" of course, he had to be sure first.
"No."
Another long bout of staring.
"So-"
"I'm not Sasuke."
This, apparently, shocked the young blond.
"How did ya know what I was going to say!"
"It's obvious."
"Are you making fun of me!" the little boy growled.
"Let me ask you something-"
"I'm Uzumaki Naruto and I'm gonna be the next Hokage!" Naruto emphasized this by pumping his little fist in the air and posing dramatically.
"That's not what I was about to ask-"
"And I'm here to ex…ecstr… um… give my rightful ven…reven… payback!"
"I wasn't going to ask you about that, either."
"R-really?"
"No." Itachi mentally grimaced. 'Little brother has such…interesting friends…' the older of the two was cut off from his musings as he felt the little boy tug at his clothes. He saw the boy motion for him to lean down so the blond could whisper something in his ear.
"Psst… this is the part where you're suppo…suppy… should say 'How did ya know what I was going to say'." The boy said with a toothy grin and Itachi gave him a puzzled look.
"And why, pray tell, would I say something stupid like that?"
"Because it would make me feel better!" the blond chirped.
Itachi briefly wondered if the boy could get any more annoying.
"Hey, this is also when you're supposed to say 'Because of that, I won't say it'." The blond whined.
Silence.
"Hey mister, can't you talk?"
"…"
"Are you mute?" the younger of the two questioned innocently.
"…"
"Hey!"
"…" honestly, can't the little blond brat in front of him understand that he was trying to ignore him!
"You're not going to say anything, are you?" Thank Kami-sama!
"…" onyx eyes hardened into a small glare. Extra effects were needed to ensure the blond's departure.
"I'm just gonna go leave now…" the little blond turned to walk away. After taking a few steps, the blond suddenly turned to face the Uchiha and called: "Hey! Do ya know why the number after ten is pronounced as 'eh-leh-ven' instead of 'onety-one'?"
"Brat, just get out of here." He watched as the little boy scampered off. Though appearing indifferent on the outside, the boy's comment did make the Uchiha prodigy wonder. Shrugging it off as something utterly worthless and lacked sense, the eleven year old Chuunin leapt off the tree branch and proceeded to enter the mansion. It was only seconds later that he soon regretted his mistake as he forgot about the little brat's bomb and promptly fell unconscious.
He was really getting annoyed by that brat.
As fate would have it, just as the little blond rounded a corner, his rival entered the compound, carrying a bag of candies from a candy store. After staring at his older, CHUUNIN brother passed out in front of the door, snoring, the younger Uchiha shrugged and proceeded into the house, muttering something about 'rabid fangirls' and 'coffins'.
It was really hard to be rich and pretty.
The little blond ran as fast as he could away from the Uchiha compound and the weird older-guy-that-looked-like-Sasuke. Taking a chance and looking back to see if he was being followed, the little boy grinned as he saw none.
Of course, since Kami-sama already declared his apparent dislike for young Naruto, he placed someone there just for him.
"Watch where you're going!" a man said as the little blonde accidentally ran into him. Catching the blond before he fell, he finally got a good look at the little boy. The whisker marks were the only things he needed before he pushed younger boy. "Look what we have here… the little brat, all by himself…"
Naruto looked up and gulped as the larger man towered over his small frame.
"Uh..h-hi… mister… s-sorry for bumping into you and all…" the blond stammered as the large man glared at him. "Really! I'm sorry!"
The man slowly advanced on the cowering blond.
Our little blond hero dragged his feet across the streets, eyes covered by his goggles, head bent. There seemed to be nothing good that happened this day. His plan to get back at his rival backfired with him getting chased out of the compound. And after running away from the compound…well, it just wasn't a good day anymore. He hadn't even eaten lunch yet!
Kicking a stone, Naruto decided that nothing good will happen if he stayed in this neck of Konoha. The little blond picked up his pace, his bruises healing with each step, and began to jog out of the area and into the business section. Like the light at the end of a dark tunnel, the little blond's mood brightened, replacing his goggles on his forehead, as he was nearing the Ichiraku Ramen food stand…
BAM!
…Only to crash into something small, thin, and utterly pissed off.
"Oi! Watch where you're going!" fortunately, so was Naruto. The little blond dusted himself and took a good look at his offender. Naruto blink-blinked. "Hey…you got white eyes!"
The little girl glared from her spot on the ground. Seeing that the person in front of him was unresponsive, Naruto leveled with her. "Hey… are you alright?"
By the looks of her clothes, the little boy surmised that she was part of one of those high-up clans. Who else would force a kid to wear a black yukata? Also, there was the fact that this particular little girl was able to look dignified even when down in the dirty ground. Now, if only she would be more responsive…
"Hey little girl, are you broke?" Naruto started poking the raven-haired girl's cheeks.
Glaring harder.
"If it's about knocky…knock…um…hitting you, I'm sorry…"
Glare turned murderous.
The little blond really wondered if something was wrong with the girl. Normally, one-year olds would cry after being knocked down like her. So why wouldn't she? Heck, her little glare wasn't even the least bit intimidating. Now, if only veins grew on the sides of her eyes, she might be a bit scary. Good thing there wasn't.
The little girl, apparently, was fed up with glaring (honestly, who was this fool who wouldn't even help her up! And there was the fact that he was touching her! Her! A Hyuuga clans-er-girl!), timed her actions carefully. With speed rivaling that of Rock Lee without his weights, the youngest Hyuuga clamped her pearly white teeth onto Naruto's incoming finger.
"YYYEEEEEEOOOOOUUUUUCHHHHH!" okay, scratch that thought of hoping she would be more responsive, THIS MEANS WAR!
"STOP BITING ON MY FINGER!" of course, he'd have to free thehostage first.
As if to answer his demands, the little Hyuuga spat out his finger before making disgusted faces. "Yuck-yuck."
"Evil girl." Naruto cradled his now red finger, complete with bite marks and icky-smelly saliva. Gross. No matter, war meant it was his time to return fire! Noting the fact that she was probably from a noble clan, the little blond settled with a glare. And it would've proven effective, too, had it not been for the rumbling of his tummy few seconds later.
"Umm…" the little blond had, at least, the decency to blush.
"Eat?" The little Hyuuga asked.
"Um…yeah, I'm gonna eat." Naruto heard her tummy complain.
"Eat."
"Are you hungry too?"
Now, the Hyuuga clan was one of the most dignified of all noble clans of Konoha. When you were a Hyuuga, it was automatic that respect be given to you by 'commoners' while you were to act of nobility. To ensure this, the children of the clan are taught their duties and responsibilities at very young ages. Because of this, rarely can you see Hyuuga infants whine, nag, and stomp their feet since that would tarnish the image of dignity.
"EAT!" but even Hyuuga toddlers faced with stubborn idiots tend to forego dignity.
"STOP STEPPING ON MY TOE!" little Naruto could have sworn that, beneath those conservative clothes, she wore heels.
"EAT! EATEATEATEATEAT!" the little Hyuuga girl continued to nag at the blond.
"Fine, fine!" Naruto glared but immediately cowered as the little girl tried to stomp on his swollen toe again. The little blond started scanning the area for a possible Hyuuga guardian.
Crickets chirped in the background.
"This sucks…" Naruto muttered under his breath. Turning to face the little princess throwing a tantrum, he asked "Hey, are you lost?"
Maybe it was a stupid thing to ask toddlers questions since they would more or less not answer. But Naruto, being Naruto, firmly believed that maybe this little girl was an exception. "Ost?"
Maybe he shouldn't have gotten his hopes up.
"Well, see ya kid. Hope some Hyuuga comes by to pick you up. Bye!" As soon as the blond took a step away, he heard a low, growling sound. Turning back, he saw the little Hyuuga staring at her feet.
Maybe it was the she looked that prompted him to do what he did. Her body easily thin, her shoulder-length black hair framed gloomily against her head, her eyes downcast, lost and possibly afraid, or maybe even her flushed cheeks, a testament that young kids can even feel embarrassment. Naruto could tell she was lost and hungry but so was he. It wasn't like he had a surplus of money. Heck, considering the dump he was forced to live in and the overpricing of most merchants, rarely had the blond actually experienced a full, cooked meal. But as he saw the toddler look so helpless, he decided.
"Hey, c'mon. I'm hungry too." She looked up, puzzled. The container gave her a foxy grin and reached out, taking her small hand in his and lightly dragged her into the ramen stand.
Naruto knew the feeling of being helpless. But just because no one helped him doesn't mean he wouldn't help them.
Because Uzumaki Naruto just wasn't like that.
"STOP BITING MY FINGERS!"
Naruto stared at the empty bowl of ramen. Sure the ramen guy treated him good, but really, having to share with the little Hyuuga wasn't really that fulfilling for his stomach.
However…
Taking a quick peak at the Hyuuga toddler, he wondered if this is how it felt to have a caring companion. Sure he felt it with old man Hokage, but this case was different. HE was the one taking care of the little girl, not the other way around.
Pause, blink, rewind. I'M NOT A GIRL!
Sighing, Naruto watched as she blew on the soup before taking a sip. For a toddler she sure was smart.
Naruto smiled a bit, already liking the strange warm feeling in his chest. His eye just happened to stray outside, seeing a mother hug her son.
Click.
"AHA!" Naruto jumped out of his seat, startling his companion. "Umm… sorry…"
He grinned sheepishly at the young Hyuuga's wide white eyes.
Her eyes could be used for dinner plates…
Then the foxy grin made its appearance. But at least I now know what I'm missing!
As soon as the bowl was paid for, the duo exited the stand.
"Hey… little kid, can I just leave you here?" the little blond asked.
"Here! Here, here!" she chirped back with mock enthusiasm. Apparently, she had taken a liking with him.
"Er…yes, here." The six year old tried to think of ways to let the toddler know what he wanted. "You, here." He pointed at her then at the spot they were in. "Me, go." He pointed at himself then started to walk in place before pointing at a random direction. Naruto's cheeks flushed as he heard some people chuckling. Probably think I'm retar…retra… crazy.
Seeing as the little girl gave no response, the blond figured that she understood. Naruto turned then waved. "See ya."
He felt a small tug on the end of his black shirt. Turning, he saw the girl glare at him half-pleadingly, half-angry. Probably mad that I'm leaving her… Naruto took a quick glance at the clock in the ramen stand. I guess it wouldn't hurt to bring her along…
"Okay kid, if you wanna come then follow me!" The blond took her hand in his then left in the direction of his apartment.
This day was actually getting better. He found a companion (the fact that it was a silent one-year old didn't bother him. Or maybe he was just that desperate?) and, dare he think it, HE WAS ACTUALLY A LEADER! Though it kinda sucked since he was leading only one person… now, if only he could teach her to call him 'boss'…
"Hey little girl," said kid looked up at the grinning face of the blond. "Can you say 'boss'?"
The Hyuuga seemed to think of what to do. After taking a deep breath, she said…
"Butt." He thought he saw a small trace of smugness in her features and it made him wonder if she really was just a one-year old.
"Nope. Boss." Maybe if he tried it one more time.
"Bass." Another trace of smugness nagged at him. He wondered if it was coincidence that she said that just as they passed a fish stand.
"Er… not that. Boss. Buh-awe-ss." Maybe saying it by syllable would help.
"Ass." he was stumped. There weren't any donkeys near by, right? He was about to try again when he caught a sparkle in her pearly white eyes.
A sparkle that seemed more like a gleam. A gleam that looked very….
Sinister.
Maybe it's not such a good idea to teach the little Hyuuga to call him boss.
They arrived in the apartment in relatively normal conditions. For our little blond hero, it was being subjected glares, hushed whispers, and total torment. For our little blond hero's littler companion, it was thinking, observing, and tormenting. Oh how she loved being a SUPERIOR Hyuuga.
Naruto started to plan his next course of actions. He could leave her here while he will go do his business or he could take her up to his apartment room.
Now, Naruto was not a saint. He wasn't some self-sacrificing, do-gooder that would help just about anybody. Sure he fed the little Hyuuga but that didn't mean he was going to baby-sit her. Neither was Naruto extremely smart. If he was, he might've thought harder about taking her to this building. Given these facts, one could guess what his answer to his dilemma would be.
"Kid, can ya stay here?" as Naruto turned to his raven-haired companion, he was surprised that, somehow, the little one-year old was able to fall asleep (given the thin trail of drool slithering down her chin). What made it surprising was the fact that she was sleeping standing up. The container shook his himself out of his stupor and proceeded to carry the girl. I guess my opi…open…vote isn't needed.
After tucking the little Hyuuga in his bed, the blond proceeded out of the room and locked the door. He knew where he was heading.
Since realizing what that nagging feeling at the back of his head was, Naruto had started to think of possible candidates for his experience. The old man was number one but Naruto knew he wouldn't be visiting since he already visited the prior week. What was wrong with waiting? Simple. HE WANTED A HUG NOW! Candidate number two was the cook in Ichiraku Ramen but, the little blond thought, maybe it wasn't such a good idea since he didn't really know him THAT well yet. The last candidate was the landlady of his apartment. True she seemed to despise him but, he figured, it was just because of that prank he pulled to get her to smile at him. Plus, the landlady was, he supposed, like his mother because she provided him with a place to stay.
He descended some few flights of stairs and passed by several rooms, looking for one particular room. Arriving at the room he was looking for, he started tidying his wild blond hair (a hopeless case) and trying to straighten out the folds in his clothes. Once satisfied, he knocked on the door.
"Yes?" the door opened to reveal a woman in her mid-thirties with long brown hair tied into a low ponytail. Emerald eyes narrowed as she saw the cause of the knock. "Oh… it's you."
"Eheheh…Hi!" Naruto forced himself to smile in front of her. After all, it wouldn't do good if he showed her some kind of weakness.
"Well?" she tapped her foot impatiently. "What do you want, brat? Spit it out already, dead last."
Naruto held his tongue from retaliating. It wouldn't do him any good if he were to fight back. "I just wanted to say…" Naruto took a deep breath then bowed as low as he could. "I'm really sorry for turning all your clothes pink! Really, I am! I just wanted to make ya happy because ya seemed so sad that time!"
Naruto paused to catch his breath the continued. "I'm really sorry! Please forgive me!"
Naruto stopped bowing and stood, fearfully awaiting her reaction. When a small smile broke her features, the little blond relaxed a bit.
"Naruto-kun," hah! She called him Naruto-kun! Not brat! "Do you really mean it? That part where you said you just wanted to make me happy, that is?"
"Yes, yes!" Naruto grinned. It was true, anyways. "You're my landlady and I look up to you like a mother because you provide me with a room to stay in and you put up with me when most people don't."
Her smile widened just a bit. She knelt down so she was leveled with the boy. The little blond wondered what was happening when, all of a sudden, he was pulled into a warm hug.
"Do you know what'd make me happy, Naruto-kun?" There it was again! Naruto-kun! Little Naruto happily wrapped his small arms around the landlady.
So this is what a hug feels like… soooo… warrrmmm…
"What'd make me happy is…" she whispered into his ear. "You, leaving this apartment, never to return." She suddenly tightened the hug so much that the little blond started to panic.
"Landlady…it…hurts!" Naruto managed to squeak out through the bone crushing hug.
"It hurts? Good then. Y'know, brat, this sort of makes me happy. You, hurting," she squeezed him harder while the blond desperately tried to pull away. "Because of me. Oh for so long have I wanted to do this to you, brat.To make you feel pain as you have given me when you killed my husband." She dug her nails into his back.
"Land…lady!" he gasped. "I…don't know…what you're talking…about!"
"I wonder…" she loosened her grip a bit to reach out for something. Seeing his chance, the little blond tried to run away.
"Uh-ah, that's not a good boy, demon." She roughly pulled him into her room and through him onto the floor, locking the door. "Now, I still haven't paid you back for turning my clothes into pink. Hmm…what if I make you white?" the brunette threw her powder straight at the blond's face, making him cough.
"Hmm… this still isn't enough…" her lips have turned from smile to a malicious grin. Grabbing a mop, she laughed. "Hahah… you wanted to make me happy, demon? Well, this is what'd make me truly happy!"
As soon as the toddler woke up, it was already late in the afternoon. Wondering where she was, she opted to stay put since her father told her to not move if you were lost. After several minutes have past, it was proven that Hyuuga toddlers were just like regular toddlers in the fact that they also had limited patience. The raven-haired girl spent the next several minutes trying to find a way out of the room. Finding the door, she placed a few cups of empty instant ramen on the floor and stood on it to reach the knob. Hearing it click, she got off the cups and opened the door.
What she saw next made her young heart beat wildly.
There, laying down on the floor in front of her, was the unconscious bloodied form of her 'older brother'. Quickly crouching down, she started to shake him to check if he was 'awake'.
"Bus! Bus!" she continued shaking him. "B-boo…bo…bow…boss? Boss!" she shook him even harder now. "Boss! Bossbossboss!"
A lone sapphire eye cracked open to greet her worried white. "Oi…kid…how'd you get out?" he tried to grin as wide as he could with a split lip.
"Boss?"
"Heh…you finally said it…"
The two children stared at each other. Moments later, Naruto stood up with the help of the little girl. Though neither of them said it, mostly because one couldn't speak much yet while the other was still recovering his senses, they reached a common understanding.
The little Hyuuga needed to go home…
The road to the upper-class district of Konoha was never a kind one for Naruto. Today was not an exception, either. Tired, hurt, and forced to be ridiculed in his injured state, the only thing saving the young boy from being reduced to tears was his toddler companion, whom he was hiding in the shadows. Along the way, Naruto would tell her of his hopes and dreams, of how he wanted to feel the feeling of being needed, of being acknowledged. And even though he knew his companion wouldn't respond, he took pleasure in knowing the fact that maybe, just maybe, she understood what it meant to be him.
"And you know…today…" they were already near the compound. Strangely enough, there seemed to be no Hyuugas crawling about. "Today…I … wanted to feel a hug. I've never really had one before, see? And today… I thought I was gonna get one… but, it turns out that hugs were also painful. Very painful. Hey, are all hugs painful?" They both stopped at the front gates. "Well…it was nice seeing you… I guess this is bye-bye…"
The littlest Hyuuga stared at the mansion then back at Naruto. Finally, she started to talk. "Boss…hughug?"
"Yeah… I got one and it was painful." He tried his best to smile. "But don't worry! I'm okay with it!" Naruto turned on his tail. "Well, bye!"
A small pair of arms wrapped around his body and the little blond tensed. When the arms just stayed there, Naruto started to relax. Somehow, this hug seemed different. It seemed very different from the one the landlady gave him. This one felt sooo…
Warm…Good… Right…
"Hug." The Hyuuga let go and the blond saw her give him a warm, if a bit toothy, smile.
With that as a small parting gift, the small Hyuuga proceeded into the compound. Naruto stood rooted at his spot, still basking in the feel of the little girls hug. From his spot, he could hear faint traces of a man, presumably her father, sternly scolding something like "Hanabi, where have you been?".
"Hyuuga Hanabi…eh…?" the little blond gave one last smile before leaving.
Someone that understands…
Someone that doesn't hurt me…
I guess… this day…
Is good.
And maybe…
Just maybe…
Tomorrow will also be…
Good.
Fin
AN: Okay, first fic I wrote in a loOoOoOong time…. Pardon ooc's, I just crammed this thing for school so also pardon the rushed ending. Review please! DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ANYTHING EXCEPT FOR THEE STORY SO PUT AWAY ALL YOUR LAWYERS!