Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ The Boy In The Closet ❯ Taboo Lives: Hyuuga Neji ( Chapter 2 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Long legs stride down a dimly lit hall. Two belong to a tall thin man; a whispy mustache covers his upper lip and chin, the lower shaped a bit like a triangle. His face is also as thin as his body; nose long like the beak of a bird. The shorter, much younger person beside him could guess that the mans hair decided to match the rest of his physique because it too is thin, stringy almost and is clearly a comb-over. Now to the far right of the trio is a chubby man, his shorter legs taking faster steps than the two at his left. He has a pug nose and smooshed in little ears at the side of his head, but you can tell- if he combs it, that the man will die with quite a lot of hair on his head and his bouncy curls russle a bit in the small breeze his hasty steps are making.

Between the two men is a young boy around the age of 14. He doesn't look at all happy; scowl looking like an old friend upon his handsome milk white complexion, brought out more so by the boys choice in clothing: a black turtle neck with a kahki vest to cover his chest. He holds his head high as he walks, kind of like self-proclaimed nobility. But you could say that the most noticable thing about him is his hair. Lovely long black hair cascades down the young boys back, laying just as straight and narrow as he walks.

When they reach the end of the hall, the man opens the door after unlocking it with a key that is attached to his pants. "You have ten minutes with him."

"I know." He was used to the routine of it all as he's been coming here since last month which counts as last year since it was December then to see one of the prisoners. His father. The guards frisk him just as they always do to ensure he isn't carrying anything on him, which he never is. Most of the time he wears things like this vest with its many pockets just to piss the men off because he can tell they feel awkward about searching a minor. As they should. Taking a seat, he doesn't even glance at the other people in the room on his side that are visiting people like himself. He just sits down and gets right to it.

"I'm not living with Uncle anymore."

"Neji we've been through this,."

"It will take some time to arrange but I want out of there as soon as it can be done," he goes on as if his fathers words were never said.

"Neji-.." He tries again to interject, but again his words fall on deaf ears. "Wait, have you skipped school?"

"Yes." He answered in a quick fire. "I know your lawyer will prove you to be innocent. After that you can come and get me in my new home."

"Hiashi wouldn't allow that and neither will I."

"But father you don't know what it's like in that house with those people.... It's like having holes drilled into your forehead."

"Hey, who grew up with him?" Comments his father; the two share a twin smirk.

Neji's soon dropped and his face returned to its serious demeanor. "The system is just as dumb as the situation. Father, you did not kill that woman, you're a respected member of the guard force to the royal family."

"Hiashi had my gun with him at the time, that was all the evidence needed to put me here."

"Hn." He didn't believe that. His father and uncle may be twins but in his pale eyes they're nothing alike. Nothing. That man is a complete and utter waste of skin; Hyuuga Hiashi does his job but he never cares in the end, to him guarding is just a way to get paid. But with his father Hyuuga Hizashi he takes it to heart and is deadly to come up against since he puts all his effort into the protection of his charge.

It was silent between them, other visitors conversation drifted in and out of Neji's ears. He really hates this situation. He feels that he really will end up either killing someone in his uncles home, or killing himself from madness.

Seeing his sons sad expression he touches his hand to the dividing glass. "Son," a word he uses when he's speaking from the heart. "Your mother is no longer with us and with me gone your uncle and aunt are your legal guardians...." Seeing that it wasn't making much leeway in his favor he sits back with a defeated soul but expressionless face. "What's your plan?"

....................

At the Hyuuga compound on his uncles side the house is in an uproar over Neji's announcement at the dinner table. The group of cousin's and his aunt and uncle plus Grandmother- grandfather deceased, sat at the table having a delicious meal of beans and rice, soup and curried vegetables when Hiashi's nephew sprung the news.

"I'm moving out and placing myself into an adoption agency." Among the frozen expressions and bite picked frozen chopsticks; Neji ate the rest of his meal then excused himself from the table, he had to pack.

From there Aunt Adzusa has been taking out the items from her nephews carrying bag that he has just put in. "Neji this is ridiculous! You can't leave! Who knows what kind of person will take you in!"

"It's my decision." He answers curtly. Removing a shirt from her grasp, he ignores her tears and folds the shirt.

"What if they're sex-atics?" She glances at her husband as he walks into the room. "They could do something to you, you're very handsome."

"They investigate the families before allowing them to adopt." Again a quick curt answer.

"Talk some sense into him Hiashi."

The man stood in the room, arms crossed as he watches his nephew. He won't leave, this is just some stunt he's pulling in hopes to get him to confess to the crime his brother was accused of. But he can not go to jail, he won't allow it, they'd eat him alive there. Hizashi can take it, when it comes to punishment their father usually delt it to him, his twin brother was somewhat of a goody goody; true he doesn't deserve to pay for something that he accidently did, but it was an accident he shouldn't have to pay either. That was the last time he would let down his upbringing and get drunk with friends that was for sure.

"If he wishes to leave, than let him."

"Glad you see it my way." Zipping the bag; he bows politely to his kind aunt, then to his bastard of an uncle and with his head held high, he leaves.

Adzusa burst into tears. How can her husband let her only nephew leave! Does he not love him? Does he not know what the world is like? How will Neji get to this place? How will they get him back once he's gone! Neji.... Neji.... She rushed off to her bedroom, tears leaving a trail after her. This is the worst day in her life. Hiashi didn't bat a lash, his nephew will come back. He has to.

...................

"Mr. Hyuuga as legal guardian we need your permission on the slip before we let your nephew be placed into adoption." A woman with a tight bun and straight bangs says to him from across a large wooden desk. The adoption agency called Hyuuga Hiashi when Neji came in nearly demanding to be placed into an adoption home. They asked him what happened to his family and he explained that he has just left from there and took a taxi over. They thought this was some way of rebeling but the boy was dead serious so they filled out the paper work. But they still need the gaurdians signature.

Hiashi couldn't believe his nephew could embarrass him like this. How far is he willing to go to prove a point? "I refuse."

The woman looked to Neji who merely cocked a brow in her direction as if to say 'do you see how stubborn he is?'. The mans answer seemed to not be much of a shock to him but the woman was very glad to see that Hyuuga Hiashi cared for his nephew which is why she says. "Maybe you'd like to reconsider, Mr. Hyuuga?" This to Neji.

Blinking, he looks about her desk then grabs a letter opener. "If I have to go back there, I'll kill myself right here and now." He glances between the two of them, then places the sharp knife to his throat. "Any bets that I'll do it?"

Hiashi has had about enough. There is no way his nephew was going to insult him this way. Just no way! "Now you listen-..." His words were cut off by the woman's cry as she watched his nephew cut into his finger without a flinch.

"Sign. The. Papers." He said in a tone that promised the one small cut to be only the beginning if he didn't get what he was asking. How can he be such a child. Is his home really that bad? Does Neji not get along with his cousins?

"Very well. But know this, we will be monitoring you." He writes his name down in tight form, Kanji. "If you look as though you're going to run-..."

"I won't run."

"If you look as though you're going to run we will bring you back to the house immidiately and there will be punishment." Neji merely glared. "I should drag you back right now, this is ridiculous." Straightening his jacket after sliding the signed paper work back to the dazed woman, he says. "But knowing you, you'll cause a scene and make it look as though I'm a bad parent and that would jeopardize the entire family."

With a smirk the pale boy says. "You know me better than I would have thought." Standing, he places the wiped off letter opener back onto the desk. "Thank you, uncle." He said as if that were the last time such a word would leave his mouth.

Unsure of what else to say the woman stands as well. "You have to spend one more night at home while the papers are being processed. If you don't mind."

"I can take it."

"I'll drive." Hiashi offers. He may be a jerk, but he's at least a jerk with manners.

"I'll walk." He brushed him off easily right as he leaves the room. One more night wouldn't kill him. And if his uncle thought of beating sense into him then he could have at it but he is not going to back down from this. Freedom is just a stone throw away.

He received a warm hug from his aunt, but he explained to her that the adoption agency told him he had to spend the night there. If he had any place else to go he would choose there in a heart beat and with that he went to his bedroom knowing his uncle would tell her his version of what went on. Who cares. Closing the door, he turns the lock and climbs into bed not feeling the least bit tired. But it seems that he isn't alone.

With a knowing smirk he closes his pale eyes and says. "You can come out Hana'."

The timid young girl, age ten stepped out of the shadows into the light of the window so her cousin could see her. Neji is color blind and when it's dark like this, he can't make out anything more than holes and a few patches of gray from the moon if its showing in from the window. Gesturing for her to come closer, he sits up more. He doesn't mind his cousin Hana as she's not like his other cousins, all pathetic, weak, timid to a sickening degree. His prefered cousin has a timidness as well but its different than say Hinata; who seems to always be twiddling her fingers and making inane sounds of fear. Hana's comes from the knowledge that her family is bad but there isn't anything she can do about it. So some fear of her cousins hatred towards her is understandable.

Taking a seat on the bed as far from her cousin as she can be she speaks. "Are you really leaving?"

"Yes."

Silence, she nods. "I'll miss you cousin Neji."

He didn't say it in return because it would be lying. People give their reasons to be disliked and just being his cousin was enough for Neji. Things weren't always like this, he supposed. There was a time when the family would have get togethers and everyone would talk and be friendly. He would miss those memories but he knew they could never come to be again. Not with the current situation at hand a situation that can easily be stopped if his uncle would just grow the balls to do it. But since he refused all bets were off.

Seeing that the conversation is over, the young girl stands, bows respectively then leaves locking the door on her way out. Neji returned to his resting position, glad to be alone. He may not get sleep tonight because he has a lot to think about as far as what's going to become of him until his father is freed from prison, but he would at least let his body rest in a comfortable position. There are going to be a lot of changes come morning. It's good to walk in prepared.

"Uh, uh, uh!" A wrinkled finger wagged back and forth before a young boys face. "Your flush can't beat my full house." His raspy laughter filled the air as he gathered a pile of sugar free cookies that lay on the table in place of playing chips. "You stink!"

"Sasuke!" One of the nurses called to him from the reception room.

Sasuke heard his name but he was too busy glaring at the old man before him. He has been playing cards with Mr. Nishimato all morning and frankly he is getting sick of the old man laughing at him everytime he loses!

"You'd better stick to gold-fish little man. I'm cleaning up."

Not bothering to correct the oldman to the fact that it's Go Fish not Gold-Fish because he knew it wouldn't make the difference because Mr. Nishimato would just forget in the next hour anyway. Crossing his arms, he scowls at the oldman then rolls his eyes letting it go. No sense fighting with the senile. Reaching out to the little table between them, he cleans up the playing cards, smacking them half-hazardly into the box they came in.

"Sasuke!!" The nurse called again.

"Who the hell is that woman calling for, Aberu?"

"She's calling me Mr. Nishimato. I'm Sasuke." Standing from his rickety chair that is perhaps just as old as the man he's been playing cards with then walks to the door but not after shaking his head at the old man; last week he called him Mike! He never wanted to get old. Dashing down the hall watching out for Mrs. Ise in her wheel chair as he does so, his side view glances in each room; tattered wall paper decorates most rooms with nothing else but the bed and a few personal items from the elder that occupies it.

The nursing home has a very distinct smell as well, something along the lines of vasaline, syrup, cleaning supplies and.... after a fourth wiff he is sure its sleep.

"Sasuk-..." She jumped from start seeing the boy she had been calling for a while. "Oh, there you are." Looking as though she needed a moment to catch her breath, she then smiles and says. "I need you to help give the residencies their lunch." Pointing to a corner in the room to a wrack of food, she then hands him a clipboard. "Mrs. Tokio should be in shortly."

"Okay...." He takes the board and readies himself to leave with Mrs. Tokio but then he turns his attention back to the woman behind the desk. "Ms. Chi-Kwong?"

"Hm? What is it?"

"Did anyone find a home for me yet?" He looks away as if ashamed that he had asked. "Just wondering."

Chi-Kwong blinked in confusion then smiled sweetly. "I'm sorry Sasuke, not yet. We're still looking for the right family for you."

Nodding, though, he knew that would be the answer he walks over to the wracks of luncheon foods and waits on the attendant that he's helping. Sometimes Sasuke thinks that these women- some men, want him to stay here with them and have no intentions of finding him a family at all.

Mrs. Tokio came over to the trays pushing the cart with a little help from Sasuke as he absenlty thinks about his situation for the tenth time since he's been placed there. Since coming Sasuke has been helping out like he's part of the pay-roll, though, he does get paid but not as much as anyone should. He didn't mind at first but a year and a half has gone by and he still isn't with a new family. The reason he's here at all is because of his older brother, Uchiha Itachi. Sasuke doesn't like to talk about it to anyone, it makes him angry that the police- the very force his father works for, the force he worked so hard to keep the family secrets from had to find out about it in the worst way possible.... They had put him in this situation.... They took away his name and identity just to protect him, he could understand the need to do so and believe it, he wants to be safe but...... His brother. The only remaining family he has left- no, this is not something he's going to go over again. As far as the world knows, he's a child who lost his family to a bad situation during a break-in when he was away, as far as his living relatives the two have died in a car crash leaving the boy in 'foster care' with non-existant cousins until they're all adopted into safe and loving homes.

Only it's been so long now and Sasuke is beginning to think that the police have just stopped giving a damn about finding a safe home for him and they think he's better off in an old folks home with all of these people he can't relate to by any means necessary because they're all too old! The helpers like him and he doesn't mind them all that much but still, a 12 year old needs something more. But as time went by, he made the best of his situation. Entertaining these people, feeding them wasn't a problem, bedpans he just plain hated helping with but mostly he just changed the channel for them when they all watch television.

That was his life. Day in and day out until another year or so had gone by and he finally got the call. They found a family.