the fuck what!?" Ducking under a second blow I stepped closer to his body and punched him again in his side, only now realizing how little damage I was actually doing. "Demon-container or not, you're still just a snot-nosed brat. What the hell is wrong with crying when you're sad? Laughing only when you're happy?"
"Because then I'll never laugh at all." He yelled out in anger as he threw yet another punch. "I'll never smile. If I'm only supposed to laugh when I'm happy, then…then…" His blows began to slow until they halted to a stop. When I looked at his face to figure out why I found myself looking at an expression so fragile that it looked like it would shatter like glass. He sniffled and looked down at his feet and whispered so quietly that I barely heard him. "…Then I'll do nothing but cry all the time."
"And what's wrong with that?" I lowered my guard, suddenly feeling inexplicably exhausted. "If you don't cry, then how is anyone supposed to know that you're in pain?"
"NO ONE CARES!" I was knocked off my feet as Naruto rammed himself into my stomach. We were both knocked onto the floor before he straddled my waist. In a complete reversal of our earlier position, he reached out and grabbed my shirt before dragging my face up to his. Ocean-blue eyes that were wet with unshed tears stared resolutely into mine. "I'm not like you. I don't have a mum or a dad. I don't even have a family."
With one hand still gripping my shirt, he raised the other into the air and brought it down onto my face. "It doesn't matter if I cry or not because no one will care. There is no one that will even notice. I'm sick of crying and crying when nothing changes. If there is no one there to wipe away the tears then what's the point?"
"So is that it then? They hurt you and you take it? Why don't you fight back? When someone hurts you, just hurt them back harder. That's how you make them stop and go away."
"But that's just it; I don't want to hurt anyone. I just don't want to be left alone anymore."
I laughed up at him after another blow to my face, a familiar warmth spilling from my bloodied nose and down the side of my cheek. "Well, I hate to break it you kid. But if you don't want to hurt anybody you're doing a terrible job at it."
"That's because you keep pissing me off so much." He dragged me up again before slamming me back onto the ground. "If it's some rich jerk like you, then I don't think I'll really mind bashing your face in."
For all the bluster of his words, his face told a different story. Though he tried to scowl in rage, all I could see was a crying child. Tears now fell freely down his face even as he rained more blows down at me, though they were so weak now that I barely felt them.
I could now see it clearly on his face, a pain so deep and old that it hurt just looking at it.
Yes, that's it. This is what I wanted to see.
Kids aren't supposed to hide their pain, you're supposed to cry when you're sad. Laugh at adversity, smile during hard times? Leave hard stuff like that for old geezers like me, they're not things a child should be doing. Not one as young as you. You shouldn't be pretending to be so old Naruto.
Did you know Naruto, there was a time I admired you?
It's true. When I was a child I honestly looked up to you. From the bottom of my heart, I adored you. I wanted you to succeed, to show the world that they were wrong about you. Back then when I kept watching you try so hard, no matter how hard things got, no matter how painful it was to just simply keep on living, you never gave up and still kept on fighting.
How could I not cheer for you?
So what happened to you?
The fool that you kept showing to the world was once but a mask, make-believe, something you wore to keep living because it was too painful to carry on otherwise. But when did the mask stop being just a mask? When did the mask become real?
When did you start becoming a genuine fool?
I remember now, that was why I hated you so much. When the mask became the real you, I wanted to know, where did the person I admire go? Why was there nothing but a shallow fool in his place instead?
There was something I always wanted to say to you – you weren't wrong.
You weren't the bad one, so why the hell were you punishing yourself? Why did you have to become the fool to please them? Those that hurt you? You weren't wrong so why did you have to be the one to suffer?
If you wanted to forgive those who had hurt you, then that was fine, do so, but why did you have to pretend that they never did anything wrong? They hurt you, wronged you, and they never once apologized, they never regretted it, yet you became the fool that you once just pretended to be in order to forgive them.
Don't try to live so wise.
Don't cry 'cause you're so right.
Don't dry with fakes or fears,
'Cause you will hate yourself in the end
Why do you keep trying to pretend to be so wise? When did you become such a shallow person? When did you become the mask you wore?
When the mask became you, I felt as if you took away my hero. I felt as if you killed him.
I never forgave you for that.
That is why I'm so happy right now.
This pain, this rage, everything that you were showing me right now, it wasn't a mask. This was the real you.
This was Uzumaki Naruto.
It's been a while, hasn't it?
Just as I thought Naruto, you are-
"-Interesting." I smiled through bloodied lips, "It appears I was right about you Uzumaki Naruto all those years ago. You really are interesting."
I blocked his next punch, snatching his wrist out of the air as it streaked towards my face. "Hey, Naruto." I looked up at him from where he still straddled me. "I have an offer for you."
He tried scowling down at me through his tears, his weariness and distrust clear.
I ignored his reaction, and gave him a genuine smile, ignoring the sting as my lips split open. "Let's be friends."
"…Huh?"
"So," Setting my backpack down, I turned around to face my gathered family and geez did a lot of them turn up. I placed my hand on Naruto's shoulder, "I'll be spending the next couple of days at this guy's place."
Naruto, who had been gawking around at the Hyuuga estate like some kind of country bumpkin seeing the city for the first time, which now that I think about it may have not been too far off the mark, jumped at my touch. He stopped looking around and finally paid attention to what was happening around him, cheeks quickly colouring when he noticed the eyes of my entire clan on us.
And I wasn't exaggerating by much either. It felt as if every Hyuuga on the entire estate had come to see us off. We were standing before the main gates, in what I would have ordinarily called the front yard to the compound if it wasn't for the fact that it was bigger than most soccer fields.
Standing on the stairway leading up to the main building was a blank-faced Hiashi, who gazed impassively down at me with his hands tucked into the sleeves of his kimono. His brother Hizashi was standing to his left and just a step behind, while my grandfather stood to his right. Surrounding them on either side were the Clan Elders, every single last one of them, all of whom were wearing faces of grim disapproval.
Several other Clan members were there as well, most of whom probably turned up to watch the free show more than anything. All of them were either behind the Elders or far off to the side, none of them stupid or brave enough to stand between us. A handful of my younger cousins, those too short to see through the crowd and have yet to master the Byakugan well enough to watch from a distance, have climbed up to the second floor of the compound and opened up the windows to peer down at us.
I actually spotted my little sister Hanabi, up by one of the windows, carried in our mother's arm. She was leaning forward as far as she could go, enthusiastically waving goodbye with both of her hands, and I could faintly hear calls of ittrerashhai coming from her.
Let me tell you, for a stoic bunch, the Hyuuga simply loved to gossip, especially the non-ninjas among them. And a scandal like this one must have been too much for them to resist, so it came as no surprise to see so many of my relatives turning up. There must have been a hundred of them out here, and that was just what I could see. No telling how many were sneaking a peek from afar with the Byakugan.
Kou was standing a little bit off to the left, right next to the group of Elders, where he was downing his flask of whiskey as if it was water. A couple of the less self-disciplined Elders kept shooting him envious looks rather than ones of disapproval like they normally would have.
Well, after he gave his report of what happened today, me punching the son of the Uchiha clan head, then bowing down in public before his other son, the Uchiha Heir, before going to immediately start a fight with the village Jinchuuriki, only to befriend said Jinchuuriki, bring him home like a lost puppy and request to sleepover at his place.
That alone was enough to tempt any man to drink. That the Clan Head had immediately approved my request without so much as a word of complaint probably was the final nail on the coffin.
I just realized….this was only my first day at the Academy. These poor bastards are going to have to put up with another six years of this shit.
"Hikaru." My eyes turned back to my father, who was coolly looking down at me from his place up the stairs. Hiashi, as he usually did when in public, showed nothing of what he was feeling, hiding his thoughts behind an expressionless mask. "Do you really intend to go through with this?"
His tone was neutral, hinting at neither approval nor disapproval. Normally I would have had some idea of what he was thinking about, reincarnated or not I was still this man's son after all, and I had seen sides of him that he would have never revealed to anyone else. Yet for the life of me, I had no idea what he was thinking at this moment.
Hiashi has been acting strangely this whole time. He had always been a logical person, practical and conservative in his approach, the type to only rock the boat when the benefits greatly outweighed the risk. Something that I had always understood and approved about him. But when I decided to ditch the first day of the Academy and barged into his office dragging a confused Naruto in tow, he didn't raise so much as a single word of complaint.
Even when I told him that I wanted to crash at Naruto's for the next couple of days he said nothing, just calmly watching me as I spoke, the only sign of his surprise was the slight quirking of an eyebrow. He simply called a clan meeting with the Elders, had me repeat my request after Kou had given his report, before quickly granting me his approval.
I had come expecting a yelling war to get what I wanted, but he didn't raise so much as a single complaint. He even went as far as siding with me when the Elders had naturally protested my request, shutting down all of their objections.
What was Hiashi thinking, and when had he changed so much?
"You do understand what this means?" He turned his calm eyes on Naruto before setting them back on me, "Your actions will have repercussions, many of which I will not be able to protect you from. Knowing this, will you still continue?"
"Of course." I answered resolutely, "In my entire life, had I ever regretted my decision once I made up my mind on something?"
"No," There was something in his voice, a flicker of emotion that I could not quite decipher. "No, you haven't." Hiashi searched my face, looking for something, before slowly nodding. "Very well, you have my blessing. You may leave, but you are to return in two days at the latest. And I expect you to attend the Academy from now on, any more unapproved absences will no longer be tolerated. Understood?"
One of the Elders, unable to restrain himself any longer, had stepped forward to voice his disapproval, "Hiashi-sama you can't seriously be planning to allow-" only to immediately stop when Hiashi raised a hand.
"Now, go Hikaru," Hiashi commanded. "Leave before I end up changing my mind."
I didn't need to be told twice. Quickly lifting my backpack and throwing it over my shoulder, I grabbed a confused looking Naruto by the scruff of his jacket, who yelped in indignation at my manhandling him, and began dragging him away.
Yet even as I quickly made my way to the gate, I couldn't shake off the feeling that I had missed something important in our conversation. But no matter how hard I tried I couldn't figure it out and I had no intention of staying long enough to find out, not when there was the real chance of Hiashi regaining his senses and changing his mind.
The last thing I heard as I walked out of the gate was little Hanabi yelling out an adorable 'Bye-bye'.
The courtyard was silent as everyone watched the young Heir walk out of the compound, dragging the loudly protesting Jinchuriki behind him. No one was willing to speak and break the silence for the next several minutes, not until both children were well and truly out of sight and hearing.
Hizashi was the first to speak.
Stepping forward he turned to face his older brother. "Is this truly wise Hiashi-sama? To let Hikaru-sama spend so much time alone with the Kyuubi child?
"This time I'm in full agreement with your brother Hiashi." The Elder that stood immediately to Hiashi's right spoke up. Like most of the Elders, he was an aged man, well past his prime, but that did not mean he was frail by any means. Though his face was wrinkled and his faded brown hair was thinning, it was clear that the body beneath his robes was still solid and strong. He carried himself with a grace that belied his age, his footsteps light and silent.
As their father, Takehiko bore a great resemblance to both of his twin sons, something that would no doubt only continue to grow as his children aged.
Now turning to his eldest, he bestowed on him a disappointed frown. "I fear you may end up regretting this decision Hiashi. Hikaru is no ordinary boy, in the entirety of our Clan's history, there had never been one that had shown as much promise and raw potential as he does. Not even you could compare when you were a child. For you to risk him in such an endeavour," Takehiko slowly shook his head in clear disapproval, "What could have possessed you to do such a thing?"
The former Clan Head sighed, "I'm sorry my son, but I cannot support you in this. I had held my tongue, as you are now the Clan Head, but I must implore you to give us a reason for your decision. For I fear that neither I nor the others can restrain ourselves from interfering. The Clan cannot afford to risk a genius of Hikaru's calibre, not over something like this."
If their words had any effect on him, Hiashi did not show it. He simply continued to steadily stare straight ahead, looking at the direction his son had departed, before finally, he released a breath.
"A genius…huh?" Hiashi's eyes seemed to lose their focus, his voice turning oddly melancholic. "…Yes, perhaps there is no better word to describe my son."
Hiashi began to descend the stairs, his father and brother quickly tailing after him, leaving the rest of their clansmen along with any prying ears behind them. When he reached the bottom, Hiashi continued walking at the same steady pace towards the compound gates.
"I used to pray to the Gods to grant me a strong child. Before Hikaru's birth, when my wife was still pregnant, I would pray every day." His eyes turned forlorn before Hiashi raised his gaze up to the sky as they walked. "I had wished for a strong and powerful Heir. Only now that I had my wish granted, do I realize that perhaps I should have wished for a kind one instead."
"Hiashi?" Takehiko looked puzzled by his successor's words.
"My son," Hiashi paused in his steps to turn and face Takehiko, "he scares me, father. I love him but I'm frightened of my own son."
"Hiashi," Takehiko turned his confused eyes to Hizashi, who shrugged in return, just as perplexed as he was. "What are you talking about?"
"So you haven't noticed. I should not be surprised I suppose, he hides it well." Hiashi resumed his trek towards the open gates. "Hikaru, he is simply too talented, too skilled. Abnormally so. He learns so fast and understands so much, far too much to be normal. Not even when Hatake Kakashi was a child did he learn as fast as Hikaru does."
"And what's wrong with that?" Takehiko appeared perplexed by what Hiashi was saying. "You make it sound as if my grandson's progress is a bad thing. If anything you should be proud of yourself for raising such a talented son."
"Ah, but that's the thing father, I never taught him anything. Not a single thing." Hiashi flashed his father a ghost of a smile, "I played no hand in Hikaru's education, he has always taught himself everything he needed to know. Reading, writing, etiquette. Even the Byakugan, something that by all rights he should have needed help to awaken, he did it entirely on his own."
"As expected of my grandson," In contrast to Hiashi's grim mood, Takehiko nodded proudly at his grandson's accomplishments. "He truly is a genius. I look forward to see how he will mature. With an Heir like him, our Clan's future will surely be a bright one."
"A genius?... It would be good if that were the case."
Takehiko turned an angry glare at his son, finally reaching the limits of his patience. "Hiashi, what are you rattling on about? What is wrong with Hikaru exceeding his peers?"
"Prodigies are all like that." Hizashi, sensing a potential fight brewing between his father and brother, decided to step in. "What others need to be taught they figure out on their own. I have seen Neji do the same; he learns skills and technique simply by watching others train. Even I'm astounded by what he can do at times."
Hizashi gave his elder sibling a concerned look, "Brother, forgive me if I'm stepping out of bounds, but are you sure you're not worrying yourself over problems that are simply not there to begin with?"
"If only that were the case," Hiashi sighed and gave his head a slow shake, "but no, I fear that this is something more than my imagination."
He halted his steps as they finally reached the entrance to the gate, his father and brother standing on either side of him. They all stopped talking for a moment to take in the sight of the village of Konoha sprawling before them.
"Tell me, father, brother, have either of you ever seen Hikaru laugh? I mean really laugh, an open and care-free one like you would expect to hear from any child."
"Of cou-" Takehiko stopped in mid-reply, a surprised expression on his face as he tried and failed to think of such an occasion.
Hiashi gave his father a rueful smile. "Neither have I." Before looking away, "Perhaps he does in fact laugh but if so, is it not strange that I have never heard my own son laugh? I never realized it until after Hanabi was born and my wife pointed out to me how much she giggled and laughed compared to when Hikaru was a baby. It was only then that it became painfully clear to me just how abnormal my son really is."
Hiashi sighed, "It was then that I decided to keep a closer eye on him, and it did not take me long to grasp that there was something gravely wrong with my son. There is a part of him that is so cold, so very unforgiving. I catch glimpses of it from time to time when he thinks no one is watching, and it is something that I never wish to see in any child, let alone my own.
"The boy had no real friends to speak of. It is not that he is shy or even afraid, he simply does not care. Neji is the only child his age he is willing to talk to, and even then Neji had to follow him around for the better part of a year to make Hikaru open up to him.
"He has no wish to make any friends, no interests or hobbies. To him, there is only training, and the degree of passion he has for it is almost frightening. The way he keeps pushing himself to the brink of exhaustion time and again without any encouragement, it is as if he is driven by something. Sometimes when I watch my son train I think that there is a hunger burning inside him, driving him to train, and like a fire, it only grows the more he tries to feed."
Hiashi turned to face both his father and brother, "I had only heard about one person acting this way before, another child prodigy. One that was also hailed as an unprecedented genius, who went by the name of Orochimaru."
"HIASHI!" Takehiko yelled out furiously, insulted on behalf of his grandson. "Comparing Hikaru to that poisonous snake Orochimaru, that's taking things too far!" And he was not alone in this opinion, Hizashi quickly jumped in to support him.
"Brother, I have seen how he treats Hanabi. Hikaru adores the girl. You can't tell me you don't see it? And for all of their differences even Neji loves your boy. He himself has told me that he feels that Hikaru is the only one his age that can understand him. He would not feel that way if Hikaru truly did not care for him."
Hiashi nodded in agreement. "Yes, and that is precisely why I still believe that my son is not lost to us, not yet. That he can still bring himself to care about others gives me hope, that something could be done to cure him from whatever aliment plagues his mind and heart."
"That is why you sent him to the Academy." Hizashi breathed as he began putting the pieces together. "In all ways that matter Hikaru is already a Genin, everyone in the Clan knows this. Yet you still commanded him to spend the entire six years in the Academy even over his instructor's objections. You did it to help Hikaru."
"Yes," Hiashi nodded to his brother, "if my son were to carry on as he is, he will break. What Hikaru needs the most right now is not more training or even experience. No, what Hikaru truly needs is to learn how to be happy, to care. It is such a simple thing, but for all of their intellect it is often the simplest of things that geniuses often fail to comprehend."
"Let me get this straight Hiashi." The look on Takehiko's face was one of pure incredulous disbelief, "You sent Hikaru to the Academy…to make friends?"
The edge of Hiashi's lips quirked at his father's tone of voice. "While I wouldn't have put it quite like that myself, yes, essentially that is exactly what I did." Hiashi sighed and turned an imploring look on his father.
"You must remember father, that for all of his