*click* *creak*
...
I hear the door open and a few steps inside the house.
...
*creak* *click*
The door shuts closed and I wait to hear his reaction.
...
Naruto? I'm not invisible am I?
...
"Huh? When did Kenzo's bed get put back...?" Naruto asks.
I am on the bed Naruto? Why cant you see me?
...
"KENZO!?!?!?" Naruto screams as loud as possible and I feel him tackle into me.
He hugs me tight and I hug him tighter, Naruto... I really missed him- strangely I have grown to love this kid, a brother forever.
"Were where you!? Kenzo this is amazing! Lets get some Ramen and, and-" I hear Naruto start to shuffle around and fidget...
"Naruto... I went to do some super secret awesome ninja training that I can tell nobody of course!" I pull out a thumbs up and I hear him cheer.
...
"Naruto... why didn't you notice me immediately?" I ask.
"Well... I uh... I have a small bruise... near my eye and I didn't realise that my room changed so much" He hesitates but answers.
Small bruise? Why? Where?
"Why? Who? What happened?" I ask.
"Super secret ninja stuff..." He retorts.
Okay maybe he has grown up since I left... I shouldn't have given him a half baked lie like that.
"Okay... I am sorry but I really cant tell you what happened... in fact you can only know when you become a ninja... and that isn't a lie. Could I tell you? Yes. But will I? No. You are smart Naruto and I have truly missed you... I just want to help" I ask of him.
I will stare at the foolish cretin that did this.
...
Haaa- I need to calm down. Take deep breaths and don't traumatize and put a bully through years of torment... maybe.
"Well... I was sparring in css today and got beaten by this guy named Sasuke! Everyone loves him and always treat him so much more.... that bastard was so infuriating that I charged in and got my butt kicked..." Naruto sheepishly admits.
"No swearing" I karate chop his head.
"Sorry O..." he grumbles.
"Sasuke huh? That's the friend I made ages ago... Uchiha right?" I ask.
"You were his friend!?" Naruto asks in mighty confusion.
Shame. I really wanted to stare down a no good piece of- alright maybe this blindfold is pissing me off.
Haaa-
"... O?" Naruto asks.
"Yes?" I reply.
"I missed you... please don't leave again" Naruto wraps his arms around me again.
...
I hug him back and we sit like that for a good minute.
*Grumble*
His stomach gives him away and I chuckle.
"Lets go get some ramen shall we?" I ask.
"Alright! Today is the best day ever Dattebayo!" He shouts and runs to the door.
I get off my bed and we head to Ichiraku's.
Its full in there so we wait by the side for a moment.
"Hey O! What's with the blindfold?" Naruto asks and I chuckle.
"Noticing that just now are you? Well... I am currently in need of it- just consider me unable to see now Naruto" I tell him and he gasps.
"Kenzo... is that why you where holding my shirt this entire time...?" Naruto asks.
"Yeah..." I say.
...
"Sorry... I will help you as much as possible dattebayo!" He shouts at me and I nod.
After a few moments we enter into the ramen shop and sit down.
"Miso Ramen please! Two!" He shouts and I hear a confirmation.
*gasp*
"Kenzo! It has been quite some time! How are you? Where have you been?" Ayame-san asks and I smirk.
"Ninja business of course!" I give another thumbs up and she chuckles in joy.
"Guess I have to make your order free then... welcome back Kenzo" Teuchi-san says and pces a bowl in front of me.
I smile brightly.
Naruto picks up my chopsticks and hands them to me... I tap the chopsticks on the bowls edge to get a feel for it and I pick up some noodles...
"That's the napkin" Naruto advises.
"Thank you... is this it?" I pick up what I am sure is noodles.
"Yep!" Naruto answers and I delve into the bowl... with the occasional help now and then.
...
Why do I feel like upgrading my stare has made me weaker? Sure I can scare everyone but surely there is a stare that can make everyone calm... like a loving stare... but I got Unyielding stare instead.
Haaa- now I am blind and have to work around it.
*Scrape*
Should I upgrade my walk any more if I have to seal that too? When do my skills become more hazard then power? I feel like I have the worlds deadliest poison in my hands but the only people I can use it on is my loved ones... a curse more then a blessing at this time.
It doesn't matter much anyway- I am going back to a routine life, perhaps I will get a scroll or two adapting to my blindness but I have never been given a scroll for staying the same and never doing anything important.
Maybe I will have a few more E-ranks? Or D-rank skills by the end of the Academy?
Hmmm.
I cant really ask for an early graduation now of all times.
*Scrape*
I do have enough power for now anyway... I just want more- having mastered every genjutsu the snake man knows up to B-rank is already incredible... despite the long years it took I want more.
...
Perhaps I should ask for early graduation. Just after I learn the basics of blind combat and such...
*Scrape*
Surely I am powerful enough now? No enemy can be looked at me without fear and that tiny moment is crucial for most genjutsu.
...
So why do I feel so... odd about this?
I never wanted to fight anything at all... I just wanted knowledge and that's why T&I or R&D interest me so much as a career path... I could do as one of the mission handlers in the mission centre for all I care...
...
*scrape*
"(Whisper) your bowl is empty O!" Naruto shout whispers to me and I quit thinking about so many things.
I need not think about my future... right now I should think about my family.
"Thanks Naruto" I give him a smile and pce my chopsticks on the bowl so Ayame-san can take it away.
"Thanks for the meal!" I thank them and after the few pleasantries me and Naruto head home.
...
"Kenzo... can we sleep in the same bed?" I hear Naruto ask with an embarrassed tone.
"Of course" I agree and hear shuffling towards my bed... before he hops under my covers and hugs me.
...
I will never hurt this child with absence again... I will make sure to inform others before skill upgrading.
I clench Naruto's shirt as he snores into my ear.
Naruto my brother.
Never.
Again.
---
-next morning-
I go to the bathroom and switch from my pyjamas and into new clothes the Hokage got me- long sleeved and cover most of my body.
I make sure Naruto is ready and we both head to the Academy... a little te but that's all good- cant be on time every time.
...
"Which css room is yours?" Naruto asks me.
Hmmm...
"I have no clue" I admit and Naruto chuckles.
...
After a bit of walking Naruto suddenly opens a door within the Academy halls.
"Naruto! You are te again!" An Adult yells.
"Again?" I ask Naruto.
"Uhh- I- sorry Iruka-sensei! I was trying to help O! Do you know where his css should be?" Naruto apologises and I make a mental note off Naruto being 'te again'.
...
"KENZO!" before the teacher can respond I hear Ino screech and feel someone tackle me.
Ow.
"Ino... Nice to see you again..." I pat her back and greet her.
"Where did you go!" Ini asks.
"Perhaps a talk for after css... Kenzo is it? Do you mind sitting with us until the end of css? I will make sure to help you during lunch" Iruka tells me and I nod.
I- *Thwack!* knew the door was there... just testing its durability.
*cough*
I walk into the cssroom and Naruto giggles as he leads me on a chair somewhere.
"Wait, sit with me!" Ino says and pulls me next to wherever she was sitting.
I can hear Naruto shrug and walk to the back of the cssroom.
"(Whisper) Hey Kenzo... why are you wearing a blindfold?" Ino whispers to me.
"(Whisper) Secret, also I am blind now" I reply.
"(Whisper) So you cant see me? Anything?" Ino asks.
I shake my head.
"Ino! Pay attention" Iruka yells and I hear Ino straighten up.
...
After css ends Iruka leads me to the teachers lounge where I hear my teachers voice once more.
"Kenzo..? I just got a letter about you- stay here and I will guide you to your next css alright?" My old teacher says and I nod my head.
---
Pov: Ino
I am eating my lunch happily with my friends.
"Hey, who was that?" Sakura asks.
"Kenzo?" I reply.
"Yeah- you knew him? But he is friends with that boy..." Sakura continues.
"Yeah! You never told us you had a friend outside of us!" Another girl decres.
"Ah- well- you know... he disappeared so I thought he wouldn't come back..." I try and steer the conversation away.
"Come on! That means you knew him from before... what are you hiding?" One of my friends ask and I focus on my sandwich.
"Ino~ do you have a crush!" Sakura squeals and I fumble my sandwich.
"Wha- me?" I ask.
"She does- I thought you would be into Sasuke-Kun...." Sakura smiles brightly.
How do I take charge of this situation? What do I do to not be teased...? Just admit it right?
"Well... yes! But keep it a secret alright" I smile mischievously and the girls all nod seriously.
Phew~ it gets too easy to control these guys sometimes... I turn and raise my eyebrow at Sakura.
"Sasuke... Kun?" I ask with an intrigued voice.
...
The situation flips as the girls all now focus on Sakura instead of me- problem solved!
---
Pov: Hiruzen
"I told him to go home and I gave him all the books we have been researching for his brother to read to him- but I was wondering if he should remain in his current css due to the situation he has been through?" Oto tells me.
...
I didn't expect him to return to school immediately... quite the studious boy he is.
What should I do here? He has shown qualities of a genius and holding him back would definitely help him catch up... but does he need to? I am sure that someone could spend a week tutoring him up to what has been learned in the Academy within a week...
But who could do that?
"I will get a tutor for the boy to catch up, he has shown promise and I wish to nurture his potential without pulling him back a css... continue keeping him in your css" I respond and he nods before leaving.
Now who to choose... someone to help him in both catching up and getting used to being blind would be perfect... so a Chunin or higher ninja that is also blind? Perhaps one who has trained in blindness before... most of those are Anbu or... Danzo's Root.
I exhale some smoke and pce my pipe down.
...
The Uchiha also train to not rely on their eyes entirely... due to the constant eye poachers there is a dedicated course to some of their young to go through... the Hyuga's don't really need that however due to the mark.
Might Gai? I mean... he has trained in every scenario with almost every disability possible he could inflict on himself- I am sure he could refine the young boy into something greater.
...
But then again he isn't exactly book smart- well he knows his stuff but helping Kenzo to learn all the basics of being a ninja might dig into his personal time...
Young Kurenai could help him with Genjutsu... if Oorochimaru's reports on his chakra points and system are to be believed- just don't know how she could help him with incorporating blindness into his own unique fighting style... hmmm.
I shift through multiple sheets of paper and I look through multiple candidates.
Thanks for reading :)
