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My dear readers, I love you! For you reviews especially, since they reached 100 - whoo-hoo! Sorry for not replying - absolutely no time. This chap is unbetaed, 'cause I wanted to give you a little X-mas present - for THIS X-mas. As for me, I'm retreating to study Criminal Law as I have an exam tomorrow. Probably, you will hear from me shortly after the New Year, and then only in mid-February. Happy holidays to you all!
"…and now I'm dancing in the ashes
And there's no one else around.
'Cause I wanna be part of something.
This is just a story of a broken soul."
Papa Roach "Take me"
Naha, G. Washington Private School, End of April, 2004 (two years prior)
"Okay, kids, let's welcome a new member to our little family," Miss Wagner, a petite old woman with slight German accent to her otherwise perfect English hugged him and pushed forward. "Say a bit about yourself, Nathan."
Не stood before them, white shirt buttoned up to the top and red plaid tie perfectly tied up, usually loose and thus messy bangs clipped back. He looked like a perfect British student, prude and efficient, even numerous ear piercings couldn't strain this image. Nervous, the only thing he came up with, was a correction.
"It's Naruto. Uzumaki Naruto." someone chuckled, catching similarity with ever so famous "Bond. James Bond" and he, solely on reflex, bowed and mumbled,"どうぞよろしく。"
"Na-ruto, we don't speak Japanese in school." Miss Wagner corrected, smiling wearily. "Now take your seat, dear."
"はい、先生。。。I mean, yes, ma'am." He kept himself in tact this time and didn't bow, only walked to the farthest seat in sight and sat quietly there, deep red spread all over his face. So far Naruto had not once proudly proclaimed that he hated Japan and everything connected with it, including the language. Now he proved to be more of a Japanese man than he ever thought.
"Already?" the teen perked up, glancing at the alarm clock on the floor by his bed. "Two minutes!"
Kakashi smiled and pointed downwards before leaving.
"Iruka, are you sure we can leave you like this?" he shouted, running around the room in socks and a shirt in search of clean jeans.
"Stop the hysterics, Naruto, and leave already!" Iruka shouted back. He had caught flu and couldn't get out of the bed yet; Kakashi was the one to drive Naruto to Narita airport to meet uncle Sarutobi and Konohomaru. Despite all the preparations he had made, everything was in a mess – somehow dust drifted back to its place despite the cleaning and washed clothes disappeared without any trace.
"Kay, I'm leaving! Be a good boy!" Naruto shouted, absolutely sure, that if only Iruka was anywhere near, he'd throw something heavy at him.
He ran down the stairs all twenty two floors, unable to keep the excess of energy under control. Kakashi's leaf-green Volkswagen Bug (an insult to his status of a fancy policeman) was parked near his motorcycle, but today they were going to take Iruka's Subaru.
They got into the car and drove out of the parking lot. Naruto spotted Uchiha's Mercedes, but didn't even spare a scowl this time – so nervous he was.
"So these are your uncle and cousin." Kakashi stated soon after they left the center of Tokyo.
"Not exactly," he started explaining, twisting his ear slightly – a habit he had got when both his ears were pierced. Slightly noticeable holes felt relieving under the touch. Silence – even filled with music – was getting at him and Naruto was glad to have a conversation. "Uncle Sarutobi was my grandmother's sister's second husband. We're not related by blood… But until I turned eighteen this autumn, he was taking care of me. I am not exactly familiar with the legalities... I suppose he might have adopted me, because they even changed my family name to his."
"Aw." Kakashi took attention off the road to glance at him. "Then Iruka is your…"
"No one. Just a family friend. Sort of an older brother. He wanted to take me after grandpa died, but they didn't allow him because of…" Naruto paused, not knowing how to continue. Because Iruka was under a trial at the moment, yes, but could he tell Kakashi this?
"I know," the policeman reassured him. Then the curiosity stroke again.
"You must have been really close back then if you ended living together."
Naruto chuckled.
"It's an old and long story. And quite a boring one, I can add."
"Well," Kakashi nodded in direction of the traffic jam ahead. "We have a lot of time."
"Then… How should I start? With an introduction, probably." He felt secure around the grey-haired man and didn't mind telling him what he had avoided telling Kiba, Shikamaru and Chouji. It was strange… "Everyone refers to me as to Uzumaki Naruto, but the birth certificate actually says my name is Nathan. Don't laugh! It was my grandfather's wish. The old geezer swung from one edge to another. One day he orders me to wear yukata and dye my hair black, the other he calls me Nathan and teaches Swedish. But I like "Naruto" more; this is how my father called me."
"Wow."
"Yeah."
"So how did you move in with Iruka?" Kakashi reminded.
"Mmm, he was my dad's friend – though he's a bit younger. Actually, until I graduate, he's the one ruling family business." Naruto sighed, thinking that he'd rather not graduate ever at all.
"You mean that 'Zuzu Inc.' monster?"
"God, don't remind, please." Naruto moaned and tried to think of something brighter than the awaiting doom. Something bright… and connected with Konohomaru.
"Sarutobi Nathan, Sarutobi Konohomaru, McMaster Megan and Ford Donald – please attend the principal's office. I repeat: Sarutobi Nathan…" Naruto raised eyes to heaven ad stood up, silently asking the teacher's permission to leave.
"What did you do this time?" the teacher moaned, but Naruto saw curiosity sparkling in his eyes. He made an offended face.
"I? Did something? It must be a mistake!"
The class burst into laughter, Naruto squared his shoulders and left.
In the corridor leading to the principal's office he met the other three. Moegi-chan was peeping into the key-hole of the cabinet's door. He shook hands with Udon and Konohomaru, who were leaning against the wall opposite the door and admiring their friend's rear.
"What's happening?" he asked them worriedly, glancing at the watch. "It's not time yet. Could they have found the construction?"
"Nah," Udon replied, fixing his glasses. "There seems to be an official of some sort inside, right, Moegi-chan? Seems, we're not going to be lectured."
Moegi-chan tore herself off the door and shook Naruto's hand. As soon as she did the door burst open, revealing the principal and his guests – two women of admirable appearances. Naruto heard Udon inhale loudly at the sight of one's bosom and stepped forward, smiling widely.
"お早うございます、先生！"His cheerful salutation was followed by an echo of "Good morning, professor!" from his friends. The principle that had not once seen the performance closed his eyes, silently pleading for mercy.
"I thought you said there are only English-speaking kids at school…" The elder woman of the two, the blonde with hair fixed in two pigtails said confusedly.
"It is true." The principle sounded like he was on the verge of dying. "Don't pay attention, I brought them for another reason altogether."
Naruto perked up inwardly and felt his friends do the same, though on the outside they didn't look any different from the moment before.
"Those four," he said firmly, pointing at them, "are the spawns of the Devil. The most cunning and sly creatures on the face of the planet and on the schoolgrounds precisely."
The blonde raised her eyebrows, while the second woman, a short Japanese, just eyed them skeptically. Naruto felt proud. A month and a half of hard work – and voila! – he's proclaimed the biggest prankster out there! His three followers also radiated pompousness. But Naruto scolded his features and blinked several times innocently.
"I not understand what you say, sensei." He said wit an awful accent, a shy smile plastered on his face. Moegi-chan, Udon and Konohomaru supported him with a chorus of protest.
"Nah, that's not true!"
"How can you say that?"
"When was the last time we did anything wrong?"
But the principal ignored them and turned to the blonde again.
"Don't listen to the brats, they can pull any act. Just… know whom to blame if anything happens in my absence," He then turned to the four. "Now get out."
The friends left the room, Naruto didn't forget to bow politely, making the principal's eyebrow twitch. Before the door closed, the blonde sent them all a reassuring smile – like, don't worry, guys, who's gonna listen to the old geezer?
They were halfway to their classrooms, when the WC on the second floor exploded.
"…so that's how my dad and Iruka became friends."
Kakashi laughed and patted Naruto's shoulder encouragingly.
"What programming? You should become a writer, boy." Naruto smiled at him, searching the display for the flight from Lugano.
"They're coming from exit C over… there," after that they made their way through the crowd, their conversation ceased for a while. At the designated exit, where people already waited for their relatives and friends, even though the landing of the plane hadn't been announced yet. Naruto bought himself a can of coke and offered to Kakashi.
"Hey, maybe you'll get me some beer and drive us back youself?" he suggested, distaste written all over his face at the sight of the bright-red can. Naruto frowned – they had discussed the matter previously, when he asked the policeman to drive him to the airport. He didn't go as far as to reveal his story, but lied he didn't know how to drive a car. Why then…?
"I don't drive, I told you," he reminded warily.
Kakashi smirked and rolled eyes.
"Ah, come on, I saw your driving license".
"That's for motorcycles!" Naruto tried to fight off without a second thought, but the excuse was weak and even a stranger not knowing Naruto at all could say he was lying.
"Kid, I am a police officer. Whom are you kidding?"
"Kakashi," Naruto sighed, "I am not driving and this is final. I promise to tell you why, but later, okay?" and indeed, he wanted to tell someone rather than Iruka the whole pitiful and downright stupid story.
Kakashi sighed and patted his shoulder. "I'm not going to rush into your little clean world in dirty boots, boy…"
Naruto snickered. Little clean world?
"No," Tsunade said firmly, relaxing in her chair. Naruto jumped in his seat and cried out.
"But why? It won't take you anything, just…"
"Naruto, do you have at least a spoon of brain in your thick skull?" she leaned over the desk and knocked on his head. A hollow sound responded. "Just as I thought."
"Oh, shut up!" he hid face in his palms, muttering quietly. "It's my dream, do you understand? My dream. And now, as it is within my reach, I am denied the right to grasp it!"
"Naruto, Sarutobi-san cares about you and…"
"Don't you dare speaking about care, woman!" he shouted, staring angrily at her. He was so outraged all of a sudden, that Tsunade didn't even respond to the 'woman' part. "I could understand if he didn't let me to take part in the damn contest – I wouldn't have agreed, anyway, but still – but, but… But he told me to go ahead! And made the commission nullify my application behind my back! It's dirty! It's unfair!" Naruto was on the verge of crying. The school principal sighed heavily.
"Naruto, where did you get the scars?" she asked quietly. He looked up and she repeated. "Where did you get the scars on your cheeks, boy? I know it's a lie about you being scarified."
The blond winced, avoiding looking in her eyes.
"In August… I was training for the race and – there was this trouble with the brakes… I fell face flat on the ground and the eyeshield of my helmet didn't take the impact and shattered."
"Does Sarutobi-san know?" she asked carefully.
"Yeah."
"You could have died."
"Yeah."
"And you still want to take part in that whatever-it-is of yours? Want to put your life on stake? Depend on the brakes of your falling apart motorcycle?" Tsunade studied his face and he nodded under her scrutinizing stare.
"It is my dream. I will pursue it no matter what. No matter what. Please, Tsunade-baachan, help me. Grandpa did an unfair thing – I… I can understand that he's worried, but it's my life. My, not his. I think it is for me to decide, not for him."
"You're still a minor, Naruto," she commented dryly, not letting even a hint of emotion be reflected in her voice.
In response Naruto smiled wearily and shuddered.
"Participants must be in between of sixteen and eighteen. And I do have Grandpa Sarutobi's written permission."
"You're still fifteen!" Tsunade frowned.
"No, already no."
She blinked, not understanding and then gasped as realization dawned on her. She stood up hastily and ran around the table to hug him.
"Oh, God, happy birthday, Naruto, dear, happy birthday! Why didn't you tell, you, stupid brat!"
"Please," he whispered in her shoulder, relaxing in her embrace and hugging her back, "please, Tsunade-baachan, help me. I want it so much…"
She didn't reply, only hugged him tighter and started sobbing.
That evening the dormitory of G. Washington Private School got completely trashed. Kids celebrated the school's biggest prankster Uzumaki Naruto's sixteenth birthday. Naruto and his three friends had one more occasion to celebrate.
