Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Asylum ❯ ARC1: Day1 ( Chapter 1 )

ARC 1: Day 1

 

AN:

In this story, the country Konoha only has one institution. Therefore, everyone with mental problems is send there, and that is why so many people with so many different disorders and syndromes of so many ages are put in there.

 

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and Characters.

 

 

“We're almost there, Neji.”

 

I nodded, but didn't bother responding otherwise. My mind was still stuck in the blissful aftermath of the mental party I held for two days straight after I heard I was labelled `crazy'.

 

I could already see the building at the end of the lane. The building I was definitely about to spend a while in.

 

It actually didn't look so bad on the outside. Sure, I couldn't spot any houses in a 2 mile-radius, but that was to be expected. Hello, we were talking about a loony bin here. Besides, I like space and privacy, so it didn't matter in the first place.

 

The building was well protected. There were thick, brick walls surrounding the complex, and the entrance was easily spotted because of the huge gates. The building itself looked old, but normal. No white walls to be seen yet.

 

“N-neji-Nii-san?” Next to me, a stutter emerged. Figures. Does she ever not stutter?

 

I glared at her, but she remained unaffected. Perhaps because I glare every single time she asks me something? Oh, could that be it?

 

“I-.. I hope you'll get b-better soon.”

 

I snorted.

 

The thought was nice, but I wasn't really looking for some kind of comfort. After all, this was my idea.

 

And right now I wanted to stay `ill' as long as possible... or at least until the moment the Elders decided I could do as I pleased with the rest of my life.

 

“Shut up.” I replied in a grumpy voice. Luckily Hinata-sama decided she had said what she needed to say, so I wasn't interrupted with unpleasant and unwanted conversation anymore.

 

..

 

At least, until I stepped out of the car.

 

“Cousin, you better get your crazy ass better!” It was something so utterly Hanabi-like to say, I merely gave here a long stare. She didn't faze the slightest bit.

 

“Girls, leave your cousin alone.” My uncle snapped at his daughters, probably as some attempt to show me he did care for me.

 

I gave my uncle a sour look, before getting my suitcase from the trunk of the car. Then I walked into the building with my uncle and nieces on my left side and my suitcase in my right hand.

 

We arrived at the lobby, and I wasted no time to make my way over to the front desk. The girl behind the counter looked up as my uncle and I stopped in front of her.

 

“Good afternoon, and welcome to Konoha's Mental Institution. How may I help you?”

 

“I called,” My uncle replied, before adding, “That my nephew was coming today.”

 

“Okay.” The girl looked over to me, “May I please have your name, young man?”

 

“Hyuuga Neji.” I replied in my usual bored tone.

 

“Hyuuga Neji.. Give me a minute,” And the girl typed a few thing on the computer right next to her, “Oh, I see! Hyuuga Neji, age 15. Is that correct?”

 

“Yes.” I mumbled, looking sour at the girl behind the counter.

 

“Great! Your file says you were coming today. We already assigned you a room in the East Wing. Give me a moment, and I will call someone to bring you there. You family is allowed to come with you, though they aren't allowed to stay for very long.”

 

“They can stay here.” I said, looking sourer and sourer by the minute. I really wasn't looking for some crappy and sad goodbye. I was Hyuuga Neji, Boy Genius, and naturally I didn't waste my time with sentiments.

 

“I- err.. Are you sure?” Though my uncle and nieces were unfazed by my antisocialism, the girl behind the counter obviously wasn't.

 

“Yes.” I growled, before turning my face to my family.

 

“Goodbye.” I said.

 

“Goodbye.” They replied.

 

And that was our farewell.

 

“You may follow me, Neji.” Some other woman walked up to me, after my relatives left the building. I nodded, and the woman led me through the right door of the lobby.

 

As I followed her, we came across the crowded areas. Seeing there was a TV and a billiard table in one room, I concluded that must be the recreation room. A room I was about to spend a lot of hours in for the upcoming years.

 

As we continued, I saw the first few crazy teens. Huddled together, all looking intensely at a chessboard. When one of them was about to look up at me, I decided to kick in my fake disorder.

 

“Miss,” I waited until the woman looked over to where I was walking, before continuing to talk, “Is there a lock on my door? If so, I'd like to have 7 sets of spare keys. I can label and organize them myself, I mean, I have labels and stickers in my suitcase, so you don't have to worry about that.” I said in a very serious and polite voice.

 

“Oh, I'm sorry to inform you, but we don't have locks here.”

 

“B-but then people can get inside!” My hands tightened around my suitcase, as if this information was really freaking me out.

 

“It's a rule that you can't enter another patient's room without permission. And as far as I know, everyone here respects and follows that rule. So try not to worry too much.” She smiled at me, and I looked at the ground with a disappointed look on my face.

 

I stayed quiet after this, and looked around a bit. Most hallways we walked through were a off-white color, which wasn't so bad to look at. Everything looked clean and peaceful, so I could definitely get used to this.

 

“Here it is, Neji. Your room.” The woman said after stopping in the middle of a hallway, pointing to a door on her left.

 

“What number is this room?” I didn't really feel like throwing a tantrum right here and now, but it would be necessarily if the number wouldn't be `seven'.

 

“We don't use numbers, but a combination of letters and numbers. This room is B7.”

 

“Seven? Oh, then it's okay. This room will most definitely bring me good luck!” My whole face lit up, and I opened the door to my new room.

 

Two beds greeted me.

 

A silent realization struck me.

 

“I thought my uncle paid you guys enough for me to have a single room.”

 

“We don't give people single rooms, unless they are a danger to themselves and others,” Came the slick reply.

 

Shit. Perhaps I should've faked being homicidal.

 

Well, I guess it doesn't really matter that much. As long as my roommate would stay on his side of the room, and not bother me every moment of the day, it would be okay.

 

“You still have some free time before dinner. You can unpack and walk around a little bit. You are permitted to go everywhere on this floor, except for other people's rooms of course. The other floors are not for you to go to, so don't try to sneak to another part of the institution.”

 

“Ahh.”

 

“You can go outside if you like to as well. Dinner is at 6 and you are obliged to attend. If you need me, you can either come to my office, or press the red button right there in case of emergencies.”

 

And she was gone.

 

I checked the room again. One bed, closet and desk in one corner, the other bed, closet and desk in the other corner. Seeing a plushy on the bed and a few books on the desk in the left corner, I picked the bed on the right.

 

I opened my suitcase and checked whatever I decided to bring with me. Surely, right now I felt like throwing all my stuff on a big pile and then read a book or something, but seeing how I decided to fake having OCD, this wouldn't be a good start.

 

I grabbed my clothes, and began arranging them in the closet. After I was done, I softly growled, took them out again before repeating the stupid task six more times. After all, if I was being monitored, it would be a bit embarrassing to be caught faking a disorder on the first day of my stay.

 

(I guess I need to ask my roommate if we're being monitored when I meet him.)

 

When my clothes were put away, my books were next. Alphabetical order, also seven times before I let them be. My toiletries and other junk suffered the same faith.

 

Yet when I was about to begin arranging my pens on my desk seven times, the door to my room opened.

 

“You must have lost track of time, Neji. Dinner has already started.” Ahh, the stupid lady again.

 

“I just need to arrange my pens, and then I'm ready.” I told her, and continued my task. I felt her gaze poking my back, but that didn't stop me from growling frustrated like usual, collecting my 7 pens and putting them down again.

 

“Okay. Bye now.” The door was closed quickly when I was about perform the task for the 4th time.

 

I smiled, calmly finished the stupid task, before rechecking my side of the room. It looked spotless and organized.

 

Then I turned the light off seven times, and I opened and closed the door seven times.

 

There. All done now.

 

 

The cafeteria was a little walk from my room. I walked down a few hallways and then I went through the recreation area in order to reach it. Fortunately the chessboard-corner was pretty much empty. Unfortunately the recreation room wasn't.

 

“Hey, are you new here?” A boy asked me. Idiot. I ignored him completely, and continued on my way to the cafeteria.

 

Inside it was very crowded. I, as irritated as I always was by people, didn't like that one bit. So I put on my best `I-hate-the-world' face, before making my way over to the back of the room where all the food was located. On my way there I very much ignored the few stares I got, because they were all so much less than me.

 

I got myself the seventh plate from the pile of plates, and stood in line for a few minutes. Outwardly, I was just looking bored, like always. Inwardly I was glaring at the loonies around me, thinking less and less of then by the minute.

 

When a blond loony started yelling through the entire cafeteria, I felt like I was too good for these people.

 

When two other stupid boys gave the blonde thumb-ups before yelling also, I felt as though I was King of the World.

 

World, bow for me. Because I, Hyuuga Neji, Boy Genius, am obviously the smartest kid in this entire place.

 

“What would you like, dear?” I didn't realize it was my turn until the girl behind the counter got my attention.

 

Dear? Nobody called me `dear'!

 

“I'd like 1 potato, 1 piece of meat, 1 piece of cauliflower, 1 piece of broccoli, 1 can of juice, 1 pudding and 1 apple,” She eyed me for a moment, probably thinking I had a big appetite, before getting everything I wanted. But since she had called me `dear', I annoyed her a little bit more, “Oh, and I'd like to have 7 napkins with that.”

 

Smiling oh so sweetly and oh so innocently, I quietly thanked her as she gave me 7 napkins and a intense stare. She kept on staring at me, even when I turned my back to her and made my way to the tables filled with loonies.

 

With a bored look I immediately walked past the first 3 tables. The first table because I recognized the loony who had stared at me from the chessboard-corner earlier this afternoon, the second because it had that stupid blonde weirdo sitting there, and the third because there was this suspicious guy drooling all over his dinner.

 

And a Boy Genius definitely doesn't sit together with drooling people.

 

One of the last tables looked pretty safe. The few loonies who sat there were really silent. And when I sat down on the very end, as far away of them as possible, half of them didn't even look up to see who I was.

 

For a moment, a few of them eyed me suspiciously. I stared back blankly, not afraid the slightest bit.

 

The staring-contest didn't last long. Chicken as the loonies were, they all turned back to their dinner in the end. I almost smiled at their pathetic behavior, but restrained myself.

 

Now, my dinner.

 

I mentally counted the things on my plate. Ah, seven pieces of food and drink. Seven napkins.

 

I grabbed the first napkin, and folded it. I put it on my lap.

 

The other six were dealt with in the same way. Of course they didn't end up in my lap. I just put them aside.

 

I inspected my utensils next. As I cleaned my fork with the hem of my shirt with seven efficient strokes, I felt vaguely as though one of the silent loonies was watching me. Tsssk, like I cared. Hello, they were the crazy ones, not me.

 

I cut my potato in little pieces, and eventually took seven bites before dropping the rest of the potato back on my plate.

 

The rest of my dinner was treated the same way.

 

My uncle thought it was the most disturbing behavior he'd ever seen.

 

I thought it was hilarious.

 

When I was finished I got up, very much ignoring the stares I got, before walking to the trash bin. I dropped my leftovers in the bin, put the plate on top of the others(and took it off; and then put it on, etc. 7 times), before leaving.

 

When I passed, I didn't spare anyone a second glance. They were all so pathetic. Though some tried to gain my attention, I flat-out ignored them.

 

When I was back in my room, I immediately saw a few things had changed.

 

Surely I don't recall putting a pile of books in the middle in the room!

 

“Ne, ne, ne, ne, ne, ne.. Tsunade Baa-chan! I'm cleaning, so my new roomie will-... Wait!.. Who are you and where is Tsunade Baa-chan?” I looked at the blond boy sitting on his bed, orange clothes spread out messily around him.

 

God, please tell me this isn't my new roommate.

 

“Oh, you are early. Nice to meet you! I am Uzumaki Naruto and I am 15 years old and-”

 

I stepped out of my room, and slammed the door close.

 

Moron.

 

He wore orange clothes. ORANGE. The color just screamed `notice me!' all over.

 

Who was this freak?

 

I sighed, and decided not to enter the room again. I guess I would just go to the recreation-area. Perhaps they had good books here. And if that was not the case, I could always observe how stupid the others were.

 

So I walked down the corridor again, not a moment thinking this was a bad idea after all. Though I had to share my room with a complete color-blind lunatic, it could be so much worse.

 

(Right?)

 

The recreation-room was pretty crowded, but right now I didn't mind: every place was better than being in my room right now. I guessed dinner was officially over, because I could already spot a few familiar faces in the room.

 

There was a pool-table and chessboard among other things, but they were all occupied. There were couches, chairs, tables and.. aahh, there! That's what I'd been searching for. In the right corner, behind a huge sofa, 2 bookcases could be seen, both stocked with tons of books.

 

Inwardly I smiled, before making my way over to the bookcases, and checking the shelves carefully. I didn't just pick a random book: After all, who knows what loonies liked to read! Perhaps there were even books for children to be found, and I, Hyuuga Neji, Boy Genius, do Not read books for children.

 

“You like books?” As this girl walked up to me with a big smile, I sighed out loud. Wasn't it obvious I liked books? Why would I go and pick a book if I didn't like to read in the first place?!

 

God, were all loonies dumb as well as crazy?

 

“I like books as well! And I like magazines too! Sometimes Ino gets a few from Shika's dad, and she always shares them with me and the other girls! So, do you like magazines as well? Oh, what's your name? You must be new!”

 

Why did it sound like we were having a conversation?

 

And why didn't she stop talking?

 

I sighed again, before spotting a good book. It was a real book: a Normal Book. Real Literature. Just like I wanted.

 

I ignored the stupid girl, before making my way to some dusted couch in the back of the room. I sat down in a corner, and made myself comfortable. I opened the book, and started to read.

 

.. Right before another annoying boy decide to disturb me.

 

“You must be new! Hi! Nice to meet you!” This time it was an annoying boy, and this time the person even dared to sit down next to me.

 

Of course I ignored him completely, and continued to stare at the first page.

 

“Oh, anti-social disorder? Gaah, I don't mind! You see, I deal with anti-socials the entire day.. oh, wait, I'll be back in sec! YO, NARUTO!” And gone he was.

 

Who the fuck was that anyway? Was he high? Did he have ADD? Or was he just plain stupid?

 

... Tssk. Probably all 3 of them.

 

I shook my head, and tried to focus on the first page again. This would have worked, wasn't it for another boy who started yelling.

 

And then this girl started crying.

 

And that was only before this really depressed looking boy hit another boy.

 

This escalated into a fight.

 

And the fight was only stopped after a full 15 minutes.

 

Ugh.

 

 

It wasn't until some staff member told me to go back to my room that I put the book down. She said it was almost ten o'clock; the lights were going out soon and I would be in trouble if I stayed here any longer.

 

I didn't read more than one page in the end.

 

I didn't thank the woman for telling me; instead, I completely ignored her. Staff or loonies, I disliked both categories.

 

I got up, made my way over to the shelves and put the book away. Then, without saying a word, I made my way back to my room.

 

When I arrived, it appeared that my roomie was already asleep. When I spotted his ridiculous head-cap, I didn't mind the fact he wasn't awake one bit.

 

I quickly changed into my pyjamas, too irritated to undress and redress a full seven times. (I did brush my teeth with 7 times 7 strokes, and brushed my hair with 7 times 7 strokes, so I didn't dwell on it too much)

 

When I finally laid down in my new bed, I couldn't help but reflect upon my first day.

 

I never thought this whole idea was a bad one. I was convinced this was the best way to ditch my fate, and that I would enjoy my life here in the end.

 

Sure, my first day didn't go as planned. But I would get through it! After all, I was completely sane and very smart. I could keep up this facade as long as I wanted!

 

And I would keep up this facade for a long time!

 

Because here, there were no shy or snotty cousins. There were no annoying and `I-know-it-better-than-you' uncles.

 

This place only harboured a few mentally unstable boys and girls, but that was it. I could handle a few psychos! For I was Hyuuga Neji, Boy Genius.

 

And with that thought I fell asleep.