Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ From Here to Eternity ❯ Pushing the Limits ( Chapter 20 )

 

 

Naruto swallowed hard, and knocked loudly on the door.

 

“N-Neji? This your room?” he called, unzipping his jacket. It was very warm inside the house… a lot warmer than Iruka's apartment. Iruka must be cheap. “Hellooooo? Neji? Do I even have the right room?” He knocked again. “I'm coming in now! If you're doing anything embarrassing, please stop!” Then he twisted the handle, and pushed open the door.

 

The room was dark, but even in the gloom, Naruto could tell that it, along with everything else in this mammoth of a house, was big. There was light filtering in through the dark curtains, causing enough light for Naruto to be able to make out a figure sitting on the bed, which was positioned in front of the window. Naruto hoped it was Neji, but he couldn't be sure.

 

The blonde reached out across the wall beside him, and began groping for a light switch. When he finally found it, he deftly flicked it on.

 

Yup. Big room filled with expensive looking stuff. There was a large TV on one end of the room, and a dark stereo system at the other. Naruto felt a pang of jealousy stab him in the stomach, but he crushed it down.

 

“Neji?” Naruto asked, seeing the boy sitting on his bed. He was crossed-legged, and his head was bowed. He was holding a framed picture in his hands, and staring at it, quite intently. He looked up suddenly, his face bearing a look that reminded Naruto of melty cheese.

 

Naruto frowned. “Hey, Neji. Uh… I brought you your work… Haku told me to give it too you.” MAN it was hot in this room. Naruto set the stack of paper and books on Neji's desk, and tugged off his jacket. “Jeez… don't you ever open a window? Or turn the heat down?”

 

“No,” Neji hissed, hugging the picture frame protectively against his chest, and giving Naruto a suspicious twice over.

 

“Oh.” Naruto scratched at the back of his neck and persued the one-sided conversation. “So… why weren't you in school today? And what's happening downstairs? Hinata looked kind of upset.”

 

Neji scoffed.

 

“She would,” he sneered. His hands were shaking badly, and that melty cheese look was replaced by an angry, vengeful look.

 

“Neji? Is something wrong?”

 

Neji looked up sharply. “You wanna know why I wasn't in school today?” he asked venomously.

 

“Well… yeah. That's kinda why I came. I mean… yeah.”

 

Neji inhaled deeply through his nose, as though to calm himself down. It seemed to work, but the next thing he said gave Naruto's heartstrings a harsh tug.

 

“My parents,” Neji said softly, “were killed in a car accident seven years ago today.”

 

Naruto didn't say anything for a moment. Then he walked over to the bed, and sat down next to Neji. Then Neji, still clutching the frame to his chest, collapsed backwards, and stared coldly and sadly at the ceiling.

 

“God works in mysterious ways,” Naruto said finally, after five minutes of cruel silence. “At least… that's what I believe. `Cuz that's where my parents are, too.”

 

Neji blinked.

 

“Where?”

 

Naruto flopped back on the bed, so he was level with Neji. He closed his eyes, and his lips were traced with a small smile.

 

“With God.”

 

Neji rolled over so he was facing the blonde.

 

“How?” he asked. Naruto sighed.

 

“My dad,” he said, “was a police officer. He worked with Hatake Kakashi, who, you know, teaches, now, Heisuke Uchiha, Sasuke-bastard's dad, and Obito Uchiha, Sasuke-bastard's uncle, or second cousin, or somethin'. I dunno. Anyway,” he said, stretching his arms back, then folding them behind his head. “A couple of years ago, this thing happened down at that old abandoned building on Mason Street. You ever heard of the Mason Hostages?”

 

Neji nodded, the words ringing faintly familiar in his memory. Naruto continued.

 

“My dad and them were stationed outside the building while the SWAT team went in. Then… all of the sudden, this guy… he just opened fire and started shooting at everyone from the top floor. He killed all three of the hostages, three guys on the SWAT team, two medics, and… my dad.” Naruto sighed. “Obito Uchiha… he was gonna get married three days later, too one of the medics that got killed. Rin Toshizou… I remember her… she was really nice. She and Obito were both close friends with my parents. They both got k-killed.” He fell silent for a moment, gazing at the ceiling. Neji kept a steady stare on his face, and waited for the blonde to continue.

 

“After Dad died,” Naruto said finally, his voice cracking slightly, “Mom got really sick, like she just couldn't take it anymore. She was… so sad…” He swallowed hard. “One day, when I came home from preschool… Iruka was there… and he was c-crying.” Naruto sniffed, and furiously rubbed his eyes. “He s-said that Mom was so sick that sh-she had hurt herself… she had to go to the hospital.” Naruto's tone turned sour. “I didn't find out until a few years later that she put a gun to her head and pulled the trigger.” He sighed, his breath shuddering. “She died that night.” He turned over, so he was facing Neji. “That was when I went to live with Iruka.” Tears were glistening in his eyes, but they didn't fall.

 

“But…” Neji protested. “You're not mad at your mom for just… just offing herself like that? For leaving you alone?”

 

Naruto smiled a little, and shook his head.

 

“No…” he said. “I thought I was for a long time… but… how can I be? I mean… if killing herself to be with dad was what made her happy, then who am I to judge? If God thought it was her time to go to Heaven, to be with Dad, then there isn't much I can do, right? God,” he said, “took her to be with God. All the way to Heaven.” Then he raised his arm up, and stretched it for the ceiling, like he could reach past the roof and the sky.

 

Neji slid his hand up Naruto's arm, and intertwined his fingers with the blonde's.

 

“Your logic is fucked up, Naruto… but… maybe it's right,” he said softly, closing his eyes.

 

Naruto grinned widely, and pulled their hands down, allowing them to hit the bed. They stayed like that for at least an hour, listening to the sounds of people moving about in the house. The mansion itself seemed to be mourning its loss, creaking and groaning, and soon it started raining, causing pattering noises to be heard on the window.

 

It was right when Hiashi Hyuga, Neji's uncle, walked up to the door, that Naruto spoke again.

 

“Neji… is that the only picture of your parents that you have?” he asked quietly, opening his eyes.

 

“No,” Neji said, fingering the dusty frame. There were three people in the picture, and he was one. “Just the only one with all of us together.”

 

Naruto's eyes widened.

 

“Ooh! You wanna see a picture of MY parents?” he said, sitting up, and reluctantly letting go of Neji's hand.

 

“Uh… sure,” Neji said, also sitting up. Naruto scampered over to his discarded orange parka. He dug around in the pockets for a moment, until he found his wallet. He opened it, and pulled out a wrinkled, worn, and slightly faded picture, which he brought over to Neji.

 

“See? See?” he said enthusiastically, pointing. “THAT'S my mom, THAT'S my dad, and that macho, manly five-year-old is ME!” He grinned proudly. Neji examined the picture. Both of Naruto's parents were blonde haired and had blue eyes. Naruto was between them, his generally unruly mane of yellow hair plastered down against his skull with gel. He was giving a ridiculous grin, both of his front teeth missing. His parents were smiling, too.

 

“See? I'm such a stud!” Naruto said, flexing his arms. “Even though I was only FIVE!”

 

Neji looked from the picture, to Naruto, then back at the picture, back and forth, until suddenly, before he could stop himself, he burst into peals of hysterical laughter.

 

Naruto found himself giggling as well, and he sat down cross-legged on the bed.

 

“Wh-what?” he choked out. “What's so fuh-funny?”

 

“I don't kn-know!” Neji laughed, floundering back again. “I honestly have n-no id-d-d-dea!”

 

Meanwhile, several other memorial guests had joined Hiashi, and they were glued to the door. They were shocked! No, they were beyond shocked! They were STUNNED! Not only was Neji SPEAKING on this day-a feat they had all thought to be against the laws of nature-but also he was LAUGHING!

 

Hiashi immediately suspected drugs, but he didn't smell any smoke. Maybe, God forbid, could they be taking PILLS? He was weak with the thought. But perhaps he should continue to listen for a while, just in case, and see what would happen.

 

“I don't get it! What's so funny?” Naruto giggled. Neji was holding his stomach, and laughing too hard to get out any words, other than `Hair', and `Teeth'. “Yeah?” Naruto laughed. “Well, what about you? You look like a freaking sexy little kid bobble-head! I mean, lookit ya!”

 

This sent them into more laughter, until Naruto had collapsed back onto the bed, no longer having enough energy to hold himself up. Neji brushed away tears, and their hysteria eventually died down.

 

“I remember one time,” Naruto said, sitting up, “when I was about four, my dad put me up on his shoulders, and was running me around the house. It was… like I was flying!” He stuck his arms out to his sides, reliving the memory. “But then I hit my head on the ceiling fan, and I fell off onto our couch.”

 

“Ouch,” Neji said, wincing.

 

“Nah, it didn't hurt. The fan wasn't on or nothing. But my mom was furious!”

 

“I bet!” Neji said with a grin. “Um… When I was five, I tried riding a bike with two wheels for the first time,” he said slowly. “I started, ran straight into a stop sign, and fell into a puddle.”

 

Naruto muffled his snickers with his hands. Neji chuckled, and continued.

 

“My mom `bout had a heart attack. She didn't let me outside again for three days.”

 

“Over a puddle?”

 

“Yeah!” Neji smiled nostalgically. “My mom was really protective of me, but my dad was always trying to get me to try new things. They got into fights over me a lot.”

 

“Oh,” Naruto said. “Um… do you remember anything else about your parents?”

 

“Yeah! Like one time…”

 

Hiashi allowed himself a small smile, before stepping away from the door, and motioning the other people to do so. Somehow, the Naruto boy had done something thousands of dollars worth of therapists could not. Hiashi jammed his hands into his pockets, and grinned the entire way back to the lounge.

 

 

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“Oh, hot damn, it's five o'clock already!” Naruto said, catching sight of Neji's Rolex. “I gotta go!”

 

“Oh, all right,” Neji said. “Here's your picture.” He handed him the photograph, which Naruto thanked him for, then promptly and carefully shoved it back into his wallet, which was crammed into his parka's pocket. “Do you need a ride?”

 

“Nah, that's okay. My apartment isn't far from here,” Naruto said, nodding. “I'll see ya at school tomorrow? If you feel like coming, I mean.”

 

“I think… I'll be there,” Neji said slowly with a smile. Naruto nodded.

 

“'Kay. Later!”

 

“Naruto?”

 

“Mm?” Naruto paused on his way out the door.

 

“Um… well…” Neji grinned. “Thank you.”

 

“Um… you're very welcome!” Naruto said. Then he gave Neji a one-fingered salute, and disappeared out the door. Neji listened for the slam of the front door, before pulling open his curtains, and falling back on his bed again, an appeased smile on his lips. The rain had stopped, and the sun was breaking through the few dark clouds that were left in the sky. There were birds lazily catching an updraft on the wind, spiraling through the sky like… angels.

 

Dad? Are you listening? I hope you are. I made a friend today… I hope. His name is Naruto, he's really nice. He's crazy… you would have liked him a lot. I hope you don't mind me laughing on the day of you and Mom's memorial service… the whole thing almost seems silly now. I hope Heaven's what everyone imagines it to be. Say hi to Mom for me, and to Naruto's parents too, okay? Tell them he loves them… even though I'm sure they already know.

 

 

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Sasuke Uchiha could not believe what he was doing. This went against all the commandments that he had set for himself since the day of his birth! This was blasphemy! This was… this was… this was…

 

This was going to be the death of him.

 

“Itachi…?” he said slowly, as he pushed open his brother's bedroom door. The brother in question was curled up in bed, watching a daytime talk show. He was still wearing that stupid jacket. Sasuke rolled his eyes, but didn't say anything about it. Now was not the time for jeers or insults. Now was the time to choose his words quite carefully.

 

“Yes?” Itachi rasped, immediately turning off the TV, and sitting up. “Do you need something, Sasuke?”

 

“Yeah, actually,” Sasuke said, feeling a sour taste well up in his mouth. There was no way he could do this. No way. But he had to! It was of the gravest importance that he did.

 

It was time for the ultimate sacrifice.

 

“Itachi,” Sasuke said. “I need your… h-help.”

 

Itachi blinked, his slightly angular eyes frozen in shock.

 

“I'm sorry,” he said. “Pardon?”

 

“I need your help, dammit!” Sasuke said, closing the door quickly.

 

“Oh. Okay…” Itachi frowned, very confused by this turn of events. “What with?”

 

“How… do you…” Sasuke licked his lips. “How do you get someone to notice you?”

 

“Uh… well… you could lie down in the hallway in front of them…” Itachi said slowly, frowning.

 

“That's not what I meant.”

 

“You could… take up skydiving!” he laughed, leaning back against his pillows.

 

“Itachi!”

 

Itachi's eyes suddenly took on a cat-like view.

 

“Ooooh… who is it, Sasuke? Is it Sakura? You know, she's a horrible match for you. No personality at all-“

 

“I don't need help for me, already! I need help for… a friend.”

 

“Uh-huh. And who is this friend?”

 

“Uh…” Sasuke bit his lip. He hadn't thought this would get this far. “His name's… Samuel.”

 

“Sam?”

 

“Yes. Samuel. Samuel… Unberg.”

 

“Okay,” Itachi said slowly. Even HE was not THAT dense. “Well. If Mr. Samuel Unberg needs to get someone to notice him, the best way to do it is to give that someone a gift.”

 

“A gift?” Sasuke inquired, leaning forward.

 

“Yeah. But it has to be handmade,” Itachi said, bringing a finger to his lips, “or else Samuel will seem snoody and rich, and God knows dear Samuel would not want to come off snoody to Mr. George Kyle, now, would he?”

 

“No, I guess he… wait, what?” Sasuke snarled with a blush.

 

“Never mind, never mind. Just have Samuel make George something, I don't know, in Shop Class, perhaps? During seventh hour?”

 

“I'll have him do that,” Sasuke hissed, leaving the room.

 

Itachi waited a moment, then burst into giggles, which caused his stomach to feel quite unpleasant.

 

`Never… again…' he thought to himself, laying back down, and pulling up the hood of the sweatshirt, the smell of coffee beans and fabric softener flooding his senses. `I swear… never again.'

 

 

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