A question of pride III [Closed|Naoto]

[Uchiha Ashoke]

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A question of pride III

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問矜持三 [/right][/font]

It had been quite a few weeks since he spoke with the Hokage. Vigor filled his spirit and newborn energy. No longer did he look into the past, but now into the present and the future. He had a new dream now, and the first step towards achieving that dream was to be the best of the best in his class, many semesters had passed with his marks being at the top of all in every art of a ninja. Hand to hand techniques, illusionary, ninja, team, solo or strategy techniques, he was at the top of them all.

He came to a stop momentarily as he looked downwards in thought. There was something having to do with his clan that needed taken care of, as well. He remembered of Naoto, it had been a while since their last time in the training grounds and he still had to perfect the Gōkakyū; he also wished to see him to thank his tips back in the time and let him know of his dream, to a certain extent.

Eagerly, he ran off through the streets of the district. The thought of getting to the leader’s home as soon as he could couldn’t wait. He wanted to see him as soon as he could.

THUD!

As he turned around a corner he ran into someone, who had then pushed him back, he couldn’t help but fall to the ground and rub his head momentarily.

”ouch…huh?”

Looking up, he saw another boy, of about his age if not slightly taller, most likely in his middle teens.

”Oi, brat! You know this way is Suzumi-sama’s house, what are you trying, huh?”

He scoffed as he got up slowly.

”I am not looking for trouble, I simply want to pay a visit is all”

”Heh is that so? And you think I will let get an accursed child like you get an inch closer to them? You must be joking”

He narrowed his eyes at the stranger cousin and snorted.

”It is none of your business, get out of my way”

Long had it been since he was discriminated by the idiots of his clan, left to his own and barely spoken to unless it was really a necessity, and when done so was with great degrading and difference, that was no longer now. He wouldn’t allow anyone to stomp on him anymore, a fight avoided was a victory itself, injuries were a burden, but then again this boy in front of him seemed to believe he had the right to stop him from getting to the house of the clan leader; should it have been the past he would have been running away squeaking in fear, but now that had changed.

Taking a step forwards he tried to get past him, and was promptly pushed back by a punch to the stomach that slammed his form into the adjacent wall of the clan district. Releasing a small gasp in pain he looked up at the stranger, whose eyes now were a crimson red with a one-fold tomoe seal formed in each eye. Things were getting complicated.

”Heh, you’re just trash, I won’t go easy on you, I’ll take a few seconds to knock you out”

He took a deep breath and stood to his feet slowly, looking towards his adversary; a sharingan user, last Sharingan he had seen was Naoto’s, and should it have not been for him he would now be scared and paralysed. Although Naoto’s was slightly different than this guy’s eyes. Unmoving, he made a quick handseal to form three illusionary copies of himself which charged at his enemy, exchanging places with the clones to confuse him.

”Hah! You’re losing your time brat!”

He said as he stood back and then received the four copies of Ashoke, launching a kick to the chest of the real one, the Uchiha child held quickly his arms to his chest protectively, barely resisting the impact of the foot that had still sent him back flying again to the wall he whence landed on. Gasping in pain as he looked up, glaring at the other boy.

”My sharingan can see chakra, your clones are meaningless, loser, come again, though, I decided to take my time!”

The boy laughed hard at the clan’s black Sheep, this last one slowly stood to his feet, refusing to give up as he cleared some blood from his mouth, he desired to attempt the grand fireball, but chose against it as it would draw too much attention, knowing his reputation all the blame would be put into him and probably thrown into prison. He still smiled with irony, for whatever reason, his teeth gritted.
Clenching both his hands into fists he again ran towards his enemy, launching a foot towards him, which was quickly blocked by one of his adversary’s hands. Another fist launched then towards his face, which seemed to get deflected by the other hand of his enemy which had twisted and moved horizontally to meet it.

”Hah! I got you, now is my tu…. Huh?”

He couldn’t move…

”WHAT THE!?”

Surprise theme - start

As his left foot, which he had used earlier to kick Ashoke away from his first attack with the clones, seemed to be stuck on the ground, his eyes widened as his face looked towards Ashoke’s mouth, who grinned widely to him, his teeth always gritted together, the end of a wire was now seen clearly, a reaction he could not afford while a balled up fist came for his face, knocking him back, the Uchiha child tweaked his wrist then as the foot that had remained on the ground when he kicked at him was holding the wire steadily, the base of his trap, now that his enemy was falling, he quickly acted by triggering the trap that he had set at a nearby lamp post, this one intertwining and entangled his body and throwing him back towards it, tying him up steadily to the post, the one end of the thread was always held by Ashoke’s teeth, that were bleeding just slightly by now.

”You bastard cursed child, how the hell did you do that!? My Sharin…”

He could not finish his sentence when he was interrupted by a balled up fist connecting with his face, nearly knocking him out, although Ashoke wanted him conscious to hear his explanation.

Tying the end of the wire he had kept in his mouth the whole time to a nearby tree, he looked down at the defeated cousin.

”I already knew your eyes could see through my jutsu, I did it on purpose to make you think I would fall for your obvious trap.”

He smiled.

”Making your attention remain upon the nonsense switching of my clones, I sneaked a few ninja wire in the lamp post here, finally tying your foot to it when you launched it towards me, I let you strike me on purpose and made it look like you had fully succeeded to conceal my plan… by the time I struck you a second time your defeat was sealed”

The man started to bark nonsense again towards him, showering him with pathetic nonsense on how he could never defeat a sharingan user and specially a defect loser of his ‘calibre’; all that ended up with another punch to the face that this time knocked him out into dreamland.

”I have no idea how you got your Sharingan, but you should use your bloodline to save lives and make of this a better world instead of picking nonsense fights like a witless Thug”

[End of surprise theme]

With that he stood to his feet and left towards Suzumi’s house, rumors were that she had been comatose in the hospital for a while now since the end of the second great war, that did somehow confuse the Uchiha boy, but most likely there would be someone with Naoto at his home, likely his father. As for the little event with the thuggish cousin, whoever would find him later tied to that lamppost would bring him problems. Although he knew that, he did not care. The times of being scared were over, he was now proud of where he came from, and nothing else mattered.

A little past noon, he arrived at the clan lead house and he stepped into the garden. He then removed his ninja sandals, stepping onto the wooden floor of the receiving open room and taking a deep breath before raising his voice slightly.

”Ohayoo! Is Naoto-san home?”

His voice echoed slightly as he waited for whoever might respond to his call. Should it pass too long without a response, he would repeat himself a few more times. He looked rather beat up, a bit of dried blood hanging on his face and his shin-height white pants seemed slightly messed up, his black shirt appeared mostly fine.







___________[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]

[NAOTO]

W

[/size]hy was everything under the sun determined to disturb him before he was coherent enough to function? He wasn't asleep. He merely lay there with his eyes shut hoping that if he maintained the position long enough his body would comprehend what he wanted to happen. Though it was defiant. No matter how many minutes Naoto had passed turned onto his stomach with his face buried in a now warm pillow sleep eluded him. His persistence proved to be for nothing as at the minute he felt himself begin to fade into black the shrill of a child's voice rang throughout his home. Annoyed he threw the covers off, slipped on a pair of shorts, and flung his room door open. His eyes were stained a subtle shade of red from a lack of sleep. When exposed to the harsh sunlight that blazed through every opening of the hallway he trudged down, his head adopted a subtle throb while the light almost blinded him. Quickly he stomped into the main foyer to greet his trespasser. His hair disheveled, his eyes baggy, his upper body nude, the son of the infamous Uchiha Suzumi looked just a bit worse than a common beggar on the street pleading for scraps.

His old sensei would stand before him and fold his arms in front of his chest, the aggravation rippling off of his form almost tangible in the air itself. Naoto failed to recognize him at first. The fatigue of three restless nights had taken its toll on his vision. Everything seemed sharply out of focus. Slowly he squinted his eyes and made out the form of what looked like his old student. This had to be another nightmare. Ashoke was frail, timid, and awash with the pain of loneliness. He would never be so bold as to stride up to the clan leader's estate to see him. Yet here he was. Naoto blank at him repeatedly through squinted eyes and learned how to speak again.

"...Hi. What d-...oh. I get it. Wait here."

He finally said once a sudden epiphany smacked him. Naoto quickly strode off in the direction from whence he came. Far off in the distance there'd be sounds of rummaging and metallic objects repeatedly clanking together. Shortly the Genin would return with a plain blue high collared shirt bearing the emblem of the Uchiha clan on the back. He tossed it to Ashoke lazily and wiped some dust from his stomach. It was one of his own old shirts that he'd outgrown once his shoulders became too broad for it, however it should fit Ashoke most comfortably.

"That's what you want? Lemme guess; you learned the jutsu on your own and now you wanna 'proudly wear the symbol of our clan on your back' as well as replace the shirt that got ruined, right? So thinking you could kill two birds with one stone...here you are."

He asked completely devoid of any energy or discernible emotion aside from poorly concealed irritation. The way he'd addressed him sounded more like an over-rehearsed speech that he'd given countless young Uchiha over the years. Normally he'd be happy to see the kid. Normally he'd have offered to make him breakfast and inquire about his studies, if he'd made any friends, how his training was going, and everything else that popped into his head. Sadly that enthusiasm was lost. The Naoto standing before him was a disheveled, disinterested, detached, demoralized, and deadpanned ghost of the child who'd dived in front of a fireball to save him.[/blockquote][/blockquote]

[Uchiha Ashoke]

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He stood there for several minutes waiting until the Uchiha heir appeared, his eyes looked sleepless and his face was most likely showing signs of impatience, irritation, as if the child was a nuisance, a bug that needed to be quickly removed. He watched him for a long while silently as he spoke, he actually didn’t open his mouth one single time. It felt nostalgic… he felt like Naoto was a mirrored image of his now a month ago. It was as if they had exchanged bodies. He was now the one that showed signs of depression and hopelessness, restlessness and impotence.

Taking the blue shirt on his hands, he didn’t remove his eyes from him. It was a bit small for him now that he had considerably worked his body but he did not say that, he was right about the technique, he felt he had mastered it and wanted him to come see it, and be proud of him, but now he was the boy that was full of life and determination, unlike Naoto, who was now looking quite pitiful. That all did not matter, though, his first reason to be here wasn’t for the grand fireball, it was to let him know he had now a goal, a dream, a reason to exist, most importantly to have him know he was thankful for all he’s done up to date for him.

But this Naoto was cold, very cold…

Tilting his head to the side, he finally spoke out once the clan heir finished. He shook his head.

”That’s not it, Naoto-san”

His head lowered to crouch slightly the blue shirt in his hands, he then rapidly looked back at him and simply gave him a smile.

”Back in the time it was me who needed help, but now seeing you, I cannot help but think you are the one to need it, however…”

He looked back out onto the garden and spoke without looking back at him, seemingly lost in thought and his eyes slightly narrowed.

”Most likely I know nothing about what bothers you since as you know, I have never really had anyone to care for since my dad’s days… although!”

He quickly looked back at him.

”Maybe talking about it to me might help! Since I know nothing of what’s undermining your spirit, I cannot really judge you, no matter what darkness whatever events have recently left upon you”

He slung the shirt around his shoulder as he stared at him for a few seconds in silence.

”the grand fireball is the least of my worries right now… You, although, are a different story”

He then grew silent, waiting for any kind of response.





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[NAOTO]

"..."

The silence was thick in the atmosphere, pierced only by the rustling of trees outside and the distant murmur of Konoha in the far background. Ashoke's inspirational retort was met only with contempt. Now he was being dissected, was he? The boy who'd already proved his competence among an ever-widening circle was having his psyche analyzed and evaluated by someone who didn't even have the presence of mind to move from a blast of flames. The absurdity of the situation was not lost on him as he let a ripple of laughter pop from his gut before he could stop himself. It hadn't occurred to him the extent to which Ashoke had matured. It was evident that his courage had swelled to a level Naoto assumed he would never reach; but to actually speak openly about his father, a subject that reduced him to near depression before, showcased something deeper than mere acceptance. If only Naoto was in a state of mind to appreciate that. Instead of being taken aback his eyes peered into his old student's devoid of any real feeling other than the reluctant acknowledgment of irony.

"AHAHA! Just concentrate on your studies. You need to go ahead and become a genin...if you can produce a Gokakyuu than Henge and Bunshin should be child's play."

Naoto answered blankly with another twinge of annoyance coating his tone as he sat down on the cushion in the floor and rested his chin in his palm.

"This time wasted worrying about me could've been spent training you know. I'll be alright because I always am. Don't forgot who you're talking to. A little rut isn't going to be enough to put me out of commission, believe that."

Air blew from his cheeks dejectedly with the sigh he forced from him. How long did he plan to loiter in his living room for such a pointless reason? He wasn't in the mood to be a host or even in the mood to soak in the same sunlight as other people. Right now the cocoon of covers he'd been forced to abandon was the only confident he wanted.

[Uchiha Ashoke]

___________

Normally he would not have cared should he have been someone else; but Naoto? Of all the people in the village, did it have to be the person he had decided to befriend and protect the one that was now everything but the person he had met in his training hideout?
That boy who had burnt himself to save him from a fireball, the one that encouraged him to keep on his path as a ninja, he who had actually cared to even share a conversation with him and understand a little of his pain.

Now there he was, ever so cold and different. Perhaps it was because he had an image to maintain; perhaps something had just happened to him that the Uchiha child couldn’t really figure. Regardless of his presence, speaking as if his visit was completely unneeded. What did he know of what had happened between the last time they met and today? Nothing, he was somewhat sulking and irritating the young academy student.

Slinging the blue shirt around his right shoulder, he watched him silently as he sat down upon a cushion and then continued to babble about how he was just losing his time instead of using it to train and become a genin. He was being an ignorant prick, he apparently hadn’t taken a glance upon his worn out form. This did infuriate him from within, but he just simply remained passive externally and only watched the Uchiha heir quietly as he spoke.

When he finished, he only glanced down in thought for a moment, thinking up what to answer to a person he no longer really recognized. When he looked back at him, he answered with a light smile forming on his lips

”Oh right, mhm! Because swallowing books daily and training ten to fifty hours a day besides the academy wouldn’t warrant me at least the space to visit he who I cared for every now and then!”

Then a small tear had to slip from his left brownish coal eye and drip down his cheek, quick to react, a hand reflexively lifted and then rubbed at his eye; followed by an ironic laughter.

”Oops! Some dirt got in my eye, and I was thinking I could ever have a friend! Now look at me here, getting trashed and feeling stupid.”

His hand then gripped the shirt that covered his shoulder then in a quick moment, Naoto found himself not with the blue shirt that was returned to him, but also with a balled up fist punch that had found its way heavily into his stomach from Ashoke, most likely to have hit him from the surprisingly unexpected action of his, by now his laughter had ceased as quick as his punch landed, his hands returning to his pockets as he began walking away from the receiving room and out into the garden. The blue shirt that he had offered to him was now back with Naoto along with a painful feeling that taught him much of what Ashoke felt after his poisonous and treacherous words.





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[NAOTO]

He never saw the lone tear descend down his face, he was too busy glaring off to the side and avoiding eye contact. Today was beyond one of his worse days. The lack of sleep, the nightmares, the headache that pounded in perfect 4/4 time, and the subject matter itself all contributed to the retorts Naoto was spewing. And of course the elder Uchiha remained completely oblivious as to how all of this was affecting his young visitor. He didn't particularly care. He hadn't stopped to think before he spoke, the words merely flooded out of him like the way a strong wind rips leaves off of a tree and flings them about with reckless abandon. It was an automatic process completely independent of his will. Without even looking at Ashoke, as soon as he mentioned dirt in his eye he parted his lips to answer him.

"Well you're more than welcome to the faucet in the ki--GAH!!"

Okay.

Now he was paying attention

The jab in his gut seemed to jolt him back into the present, freeing him from the detached state of quiet observation and throwaway commentating. It actually hurt. Had he gotten stronger? Or had Naoto gotten weaker? It was true his already-sore abs felt particularly brutal now after that jab and the relentless training session from before, though there was no denying it. Ashoke had worked on more than his katon.

The glaze in his eyes left as he took his shirt and angrily stomped after him into the garden area.

"HEY!! What the hell's your problem?! You come up in my house and start hitting me? What'd I do to you!?"

Naoto yelled and chucked the shirt back at Ashoke's head full force.

"And this is a gift!! Wearing the clan symbol on your back shows you're a full-fledged Uchiha that's passed into adulthood! That and I GAVE it to you, so you should keep it!"

He folded his arms now and had to control the acidity in his tone. Suddenly the words the kid had spoken before, the ones he'd heard but not really listened to, were finally given attention. What was that he said? Something about a friend he cared for?

Sighing Naoto rubbed his bare stomach and shook some hair free from his eyes, his expression a mixture of both shock and unsaturated indignation.

"...That hurt. You've gotten stronger...and a lot more ballsy."

He finally admitted with a smirk coming on to his face as he lowered his eyes to the ground. What was it about this kid that brought out both the best and the worst in him at apparently the same time?

[Uchiha Ashoke]

___________


He stopped on his tracks nearby a few trees in the garden of the heir’s mansion. Remaining still and without looking back as he was yelled at by the Uchiha heir coming after him; soon receiving the blue shirt over his head, which had enough force to bump him slightly forwards. He still didn’t do anything while he listened to what Naoto had to say. By the time he finished, the shirt had slipped from his head and slowly fallen over his back, although it was held from reaching the ground as his left hand emerged from his pocket and then grasped it, his fingers clenching around the cloth as he took a deep breath then turned on his feet, his right hand now also slipping from his pocket and hanging by him

”Why did you come out Naoto… you could have sent a servant to tell those that visit you that you are not available, I would have returned another day if you didn’t feel really like seeing people. Instead, you had to come out yourself and speak ill words. It seems you needed to prove something…”

He shook his head slowly and glance at the shirt in his hand momentarily then back at him. Truth be told, loneliness matured one quicker than most. Where you had no one to lean upon and experience the things of life every boy would know of, you had to find a way to entertain yourself to pass time. Ashoke’s was reading. He read books far beyond his understanding in the beginning, material for a much older public. Things that made him wonder about life and the people that inhabited the land. A boy of his age probably could never have thought of Naoto’s psyche; why did he really have to come out of his house if he didn’t want to see anyone? It was as he wanted the attention and to prove something; perhaps to feel superior, but with Ashoke? Did he really need to treat him that way? It was almost a given that he was superior to him in every way.

He grew silent and watched him quietly; disregarding his comments about his improvement.



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[NAOTO]

"...A...ser...vant?"

H

[/color]e twitched and had to force back the tide of red that reflexively wanted to activate. If Ashoke watched carefully enough he could see his eyes flicker from crimson to cerulean back and forth in a battle of self-control.

"...A SERVANT?"

How dare he.

How much nerve did he posses to even insinuate Naoto believed himself too good to handle his own business. He'd never had servants or sitters, or bodyguards, or any of that. Did he honestly believe Suzumi gave enough of a damn about him to bother with such precautions? His father was his bodyguard/chef/"servant" his entire life. Never had he demanded to be treated any differently than anyone else in the clan. From the time he was born it was made very plain and very clear that he was expendable. No one would lift a finger to protect him. No one would come running if he cried. No one would so much as bat a sharingan eyelash if he yelled for assistance in the face of an assassin. If he couldn't pick up a kunai to defend himself than death was precisely what he deserved in his mother's eyes and the clan would likely stand behind her.

"So that's what you're on now, is it? You think I'm sitting up here all day waving my hands and delegating my affairs to my nonexistent servants? No. Sorry to disappoint you, but no one in the village; let alone the clan; would give a shit if you slit my throat back in the hallway!"

Right now he lacked the words needed to properly articulate just how livid he was. In the back of his mind this was what he worried people thought. Yet he kept himself smiling. He acted as helpful and cheerful as he could possibly stand to do in the hopes that they'd abandon the foolish mental image of a pampered and coddled child. Clearly it was for nothing.

"I don't have anything to prove. It's my house. I can come outside if I wanna come outside, but I followed you to ask what your deal was!! But now you're acting like I'M the one who did something wrong and you're beyond delusional if you really believe I have people who's job it is to look after me!"

Naoto scoffed at the mere idea of it and leaned himself up against the wall. Again his old friend, the nameless dull ache in his chest, returned from out of nowhere. In a few minutes Ashoke managed to cross lines that didn't need to be crossed, imply things that pushed one of his few buttons, and drag to the surface suppressed thoughts that were venomous to his well-being.

A great way to start the day.[/blockquote][/blockquote]

[Uchiha Ashoke]

___________

He watched him quietly while he spoke. Catching a glimpse of his sharingan shifting in and out while he did so. He apparently hadn’t really reacted in any way to his eyes; but knew something. He was ticked off. It seemed as the fact the Uchiha ‘child’ mentioning he had servants infuriated him. But then again he couldn’t really be blamed. He was used to being alone and having no one really in his life to lean on. It was obvious that Ashoke would think Naoto’s life had a lot of people worrying over his needs, apparently he was wrong there.

Once he finished, he spoke at his own turn.

”It seems I am wrong, yet the fact you could simply have remained indoors doesn’t change. You didn’t have to come to answer your door”

He returned one of his hands to his pocket.

”Shall I leave, or will you tell me what happened to you? Perhaps you’d care to know that I intend to become a ninja, to protect those I care for; such as you.”

He then looked about before looking back at him.

”Even if you are the clan’s heir, I do not really know much of your reputation. You can’t blame me for thinking you have people that serve you; it’s just common sense. You’re the future leader of this clan. I simply went by what I read in the books. I don’t actually know how you live beyond what you told me that night in the woods”


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[NAOTO]

Everything he did nowadays seemed to be a test of patience. It was as if the gods were trying to see just how far he could be pushed before their favorite plaything finally broke. Naoto groaned and banged his head up against the side of the house, the pain calmed him down instantly. He sighed and shook his head once in response.

"No...[sigh]...you can stay. I answered the door because I have to...it might be something important. I can't put life on hold because I don't feel well."

There were too many persistent people in this clan. Too many so eager to poke around in his affairs. Why did Ashoke even care what was bothering him? It didn't matter at this point. He'd only seen him during isolated incidents where the only topic was the training and the brief moments Naoto strayed from the subject. That was the way he liked it to an extent. The less people that knew him the less people that could screw him over in the end. But why did all the strangers he'd met have to be so determined? They just didn't give up. A part of him didn't want them to. Ashoke wanted answers.

As a token of gratitude or momentary insanity, Naoto would grant him a peek into the underlying issue. A big toe in the deep murky ocean of his persona.

"I've never thought of myself as the clan's heir...it was my sister's title and she loved it more than anything..."

He closed his eyes and allowed himself to slump down the wall further as the tension in his face dropped. Times like now when the depression and confusion engulfed him like a flood threatening to pull him under he returned himself to the past. Those memories made the waters calm again until they receded. Only now it wasn't enough. The tide was tainted. Blackened with the knowledge gained in one twenty minute visit that showed him how easy he was to manipulate.

"You'd have loved her. Everyone did. Even mom...in her own way. She was hard on her because she believed in her. I think she saw a younger version of herself, as if she were looking back in time."

How would Nanami have handled herself if she hadn't taken that cold steel to her throat that night? Even looking back on it she seemed fine. Invincible. Eager and willing to take on the world, shoulder through fire and brimstone, and emerge from Hell a champion among demons to stare life in the face by refusing to let herself be overcome. Come what may, betrayal, loss, heartbreak, and heartache, he believed she would endure. That was the kunoichi Uchiha Nanami tried to be until her dying breath.

"When she killed herself suddenly her problems became my problems. Mother turned to me out of necessity and bitter reluctance. The only thing worse than her being angry...was her telling you you weren't worth her getting angry over. I stopped caring. I knew I'd never be the second coming of Nanami. I never tried to replace her, even though I was told that's the only reason I was kept around; as a spare. I just wanted my old life back...I wanted my freedom back, my time with dad back, my childhood back, my friends back, and my sister back. Everything I care about is in the past."

He spoke barely above a whisper. Why was he telling Ashoke all this? He forgot the reason. Originally the plan was to be brief and blunt, yet he found himself lost in rolling flashbacks of nostalgia. If he could just go back and freeze time five years ago everything would be alright. Nothing would have to change and evolve into this twisted monstrosity that was a shadow of the happiness he used to experience infrequently but reliably. There was no telling when it would come again, though what got him through was just knowing it was coming at all and looking forward to those days.

"Tch...Naoto-taicho...Naoto-sama...Naoto-sensei...none of those even sound right. Being heir, or leader, or anyone of significance doesn't fit my personality."

Suddenly he turned his face up to Ashoke with his eyes still closed but giving him one of the biggest toothiest grins he could muster.

"I am...a nobody, Ashoke-kun! I'd forgotten that...and recently someone was kind enough to remind me."

He coughed at the end and regained his normal volume.

"That's all that happened."

[Uchiha Ashoke]

___________

He watched him quietly as he spoke. Every single word he let out was like everything Ashoke wanted; A mother. No matter how evil she was with him, the motherly presence would have made of him a different thing. To know that at least he wasn’t alone, no matter what she made him go through. Perhaps he was also a bit wrong; he really couldn’t speak of something he’s never had. Who was he to judge Naoto’s feelings anyway? He appeared to despise his destiny from the time his sister had apparently killed herself; something Ashoke wondered. Had she really died because of her mother, or was there something else yet to be discovered?

Once Naoto finished, he would look at him and disregard his constant self-degradation.

”I am not here to judge you, I am here to be a friend, as I said, who am I really to judge you? We come from different worlds… still I cannot help but wonder about your mother… I think there is no such a thing as a complete monster, have you ever wondered asking your dad what happened between them when they were alone? What if she just can’t bring herself to show you her warm side, but talks about you to your dad?”

He was being either naïve, or he just was too optimistic.

”Also… Naoto, if you’re a nobody... what am I?”


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[NAOTO]

Would this ever end? This constant back-and-forth dissecting of his life and his psyche by someone so deep in naivety he couldn't even see people for what they were. It was the infuriating kind of foolish optimism that made it impossible for someone to even begin to understand. It was like everything he indirectly said about anything pertaining to his life went in one ear and out of the other.

"No. I never said she was a monster...she's more like a force of nature. Something that does what it does because it can. She doesn't need a reason for anything and she cant show what she doesn't have Ashoke. Her emotions died a long time ago...dad says she was like that even when he was an academy student like you. They haven't had a conversation beyond seven seconds since as far back as I can remember, and if she did say something about me she was probably complaining. Some people just are who they are. Dad's a bleeding heart, mom's a living weapon, and I'm a nobody. Sometimes it really is that simple."

Naoto replied with a shrug as his exasperation grew. This wasn't something he wanted to get into. It was boring and unpleasant. Why couldn't Ashoke just accept the shirt, the half-baked nonverbal apology, and smile before skipping off to play or something? Every one wanted to make things harder than they had to be with their deep questions and musings on human nature. Now wasn't the time for all that and he doubted it would ever be. All he wanted was to be left in solitude with the knowledge that when he snapped out of this everything would be alright between them. His pool of "friends" was drying out. He called himself doing them a favor by avoiding them until he was more personable. Yet here the younger Uchiha was seeking him out. It was endearing in a very annoying sort of way.

Now he asked what his value were if Suzumi's boy was a nobody. What kind of question was that? Why did this suddenly have to be about him anyways? He stopped that train of thought. It wasn't him talking, merely another demon in his head driving him through a tunnel he wasn't sure he wanted to explore further. Naoto sighed for the hundredth time and began to reiterate what he'd been trying to tell the kid from day one.

"I can't tell you what you are, that's something you'll just...know. But you're not a nobody. Nobodies don't punch their sensei in the stomach. Nobodies are people who exist without giving much of a shit about anything. The fact that you actually care...for some reason I dont know...automatically disqualifies you."

Now he was just spouting nonsense, giving answers just to give answers without really thinking much behind them. The dark cloud of apathy still loomed over his head though the sting from his punch earlier could still be felt if his hand brushed against it too roughly. It was bizarre how he could speak and yet not even listen to his own words. By now he should realize just how seriously his remarks were taken. Another price of being a nobody: obliviousness to the feelings of others.