Adult-FanFiction.org : Naruto

Safe House	By : dolphina23 Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 987 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Naruto manga and anime do not belong to me and I make no money writing this.

Chapter List
- 1
- 2
- 3
Author�s Note:
Well, bless me, I�ve had more reviews for this in one
day than in the first day after posting both of my other stories combined.
Thank you! I�m going to try not to bore anyone with too much detail, but I must
also warn you now. Detail is one of my assets as well as something I can get
carried away with. Also, if done well, the use of medical terminology in a
fiction can really enhance, not detract, from the story, for example, the Dr.
Kay Scarpetta novels written by the very lovely Patricia Cornwell. But, I�ll
try my best not to get too bogged down.
�� Furthermore,
remember I�m trying to illustrate a story based off of the manga characters,
but that some of them may be very out of character at times, though I did not
start out writing this with that intention. Now, enough of
this. Ride on down the dusty track and meet your destiny, my cavalier
wanderers, the story does continue.

Chapter�� 2

�� Naruto
scrunched up his nose and shook his head. The tube in his arm itched and there
was a dull pain in his hand. He rubbed at it slowly only to feel it get worse.
The little blue box hanging to his left made a noise and then continued to do
it. One of the nice ladies, the doctor had called them nurses, came rushing in.
Naruto smiled at her, unsure of why she looked at him like she was afraid.
Naruto knew that look. He�d seen it in the funny glass that showed him his face
and in Taka when the fuzz got too close or one of the trolls started after him.
Oh yes, he knew fear.
�� The nurse
bent down to move his hand away from where he�d been rubbing and frowned.
�� Naruto,
did you do this?�
�� Naruto
stared at her confused, but he smiled again, thinking it might help. He didn�t
understand.
�� You�ve
pulled out the IV. It needs to stay where it is so you can get better. Do you
understand? You�re feeling a little better right? The IV delivers medicine that
does that. If you rub at it, it might stop working.�
�� Naruto
shrugged and smiled. He did feel less like he was going to be sick and less
tired. He�d slept a lot that day. He wasn�t as thirsty either. Watching the
nurse, he saw her pull apart a paper something and inside there was another
little tube attached to a needle. They had told him what needles were because
he�d felt them going in early yesterday, when he woke up without most of his
clothes and on a strange bed, with strangers looking at him. He hadn�t liked
that, not at all. Then, they had done something, it had made him sleepy. The
next time he�d woken up, the man who said his name was Iruka had been by his bed.
Naruto had wanted to talk to him before but Taka had looked so scared that
Naruto thought he might be one of the trolls that could look like a normal
person. Taka had told him about them, too. They wore faces like Iruka but then
they did things, awful things. Taka had showed him the mark on his tummy, a
long white one and said that they had wanted his shoes. Naruto wasn�t stupid;
he knew that shoes were important. They kept your feet from hurting on the road
when you walked. Then, Taka had said something that made Naruto squirm and gave
him an odd feeling, like there had been someone else who talked like that.
�� Sometimes,
the t-trolls, they want goodies. They want to go in there.� He had pointed to
below Naruto�s belt. Taka said those were the �goodies� that they wanted.
Naruto didn�t see why they wanted that
part of him. He only used it to go to the bathroom, after all. He knew how to
avoid them though, how to get away. He was quick and small, so they could never
catch him. The nurse pulled the tube and the needle out while Naruto watched. A
little blood came out and she put a neat-looking, orange bandage over it.
Naruto had bought some for Taka, one time, over at the store where they
sometimes got coffee. He�d scraped his knee one day when he went out to look
for food. Naruto had been told to stay behind and never to go anywhere without
him. He�d listened, because he�d always been told to stay behind, to stay
quiet, and, once, to stay hidden. Though he couldn�t remember when or who had
said it.� ��
�� She put in
the other tube and Naruto felt a little better. This one didn�t itch and it was
higher on his hand which felt less painful. A knock on the door made her turn
around and Naruto waited to see if it was a troll, or maybe Iruka. He liked
Iruka. The detective that had come in with him last night was funny looking,
like a Halloween man. He had a scar over his eye and they were mismatched, one
darker than the other. His grey hair was spiked up high on his head, which was
funny since he wasn�t older looking like Taka. It was Iruka though, as far as
Naruto could make out. The outlines of his form blurred and shifted and Naruto
narrowed his eyes until they watered; everything was always so hard to focus
on. The clouds in his eyes were awful to see through. The nice doctor had
visited him today and given him more drops. They made the things he saw inside
the clouds stand out better. He liked the doctor.
�� Kakashi
came through the door smiling and Naruto felt the funny twist in his tummy that
Taka had said was a good feeling, like when you smiled or laughed. Naruto
thought it made sense and he liked to smile. He especially liked to laugh and
did it a lot. Though, maybe it was wrong because he sometimes got strange looks
from people. They made him feel bad funny, like he had been bad too, and that made him think of something he
really didn�t want to, so he pushed it all away. He smiled bigger and Kakashi
laughed a little which made the feeling grow. Kakashi reached toward him and
Naruto instinctively pulled back. They might feel nice when he saw them but he
didn�t want to touch yet, not until he knew they weren�t normal trolls. He
already knew that they weren�t scary trolls. Kakashi looked over at the bear on
his bed with a smile. At least Naruto thought he was smiling through the fuzzy
edges of his face. The bear was huge and the doctor that had given it to him
had said his name was Kuma-chan. Naruto liked the sound of the name and the
feel of the bear. He was big enough to hug tightly with both his arms.
�� Who�s
this?� Kakashi asked softly while he laughed again.
�� Naruto
smiled wider and giggled a little. Kakashi wanted to meet Kuma-chan! And he
didn�t have the funny look like the normal trolls that had wanted his other
toy, Omocha. Taka had given it to him. Naruto had named him for the word that
meant toy because he couldn�t think of a better one. Omocha was a monkey,
Naruto had learned. But, Kuma-chan felt better and he wanted to see if Kakashi
agreed.
�� This is
Kuma-chan! He feels . . . er . . .� But Naruto stopped; he didn�t know the
right word. It felt like there was a better one but he didn�t know it and
whenever that happened he felt that queasy funny feeling again, like a
mistake.��
�� He feels
like what, Naruto?� Kakashi asked gently. �Can you tell me? I�d like to know
first, before I ask if I can touch him.�
�� Iruka
smiled down at Kakashi then, from behind him. The college classes were good for
more than keeping him out of trouble apparently.
�� Uh, he
feels . . . good,� Naruto struggled a little and then frowned. �But that word
isn�t right. I know more. I just can�t find it.�
�� Can I see
him? That way, maybe I can help you find the right one.�
�� Naruto
handed over Kuma-chan reluctantly, narrowing his eyes so he could see a little
clearer just what Kakashi was doing. The clouds in front of them really weren�t
helping any at all. Kakashi didn�t go anywhere with him, so maybe he wasn�t
going to do anything. Still, Naruto had to watch to be sure.
�� Hmmm, well
isn�t this nice. He really does feel good . . . soft, too.� Kakashi said while
lifting the bear off of the bed. Iruka leaned a little on his shoulder to swipe
a hand over the ear himself. A bright, magnetic blue, the bear was made of soft
velvet and much higher in quality not to mention a whole hell of a lot bigger, than
anything Iruka had seen in the hospital gift shop. The ophthalmologist must
have gone to another shop, perhaps a specialty store, by the look of the
quality in the fabric.
�� Soft,�
Naruto repeated, �Kuma-chan is soft.�
�� Kakashi new
the boy was instinctively committing it to memory without being told to. Maybe
someone had tried to teach him as
much as they could, just not as well as a teacher or a parent-figure would.
Naruto rubbed the bear and smiled and mouthed the word again before nodding. It
was remarkable to watch and gave Kakashi hope that he could learn as well as
any other child. Sometimes that wasn�t possible if the brain was not stimulated
early enough in life. The child grew up irreversibly damaged in the reason and
cognitive memory centers of the brain. A glance at Iruka�s face and Kakashi sat
down on the edge of the bed, careful not to get too close to Naruto just yet.
�� Naruto, do
you remember when I said that you were right about me being a police officer?�
�� I
remember. It�s always good to try and remember what people say,� Naruto said
quietly while fiddling with Kuma-chan�s ear. He sat very still as if something
was telling him that Kakashi had more to say and he might not like it.
�� Did Taka
tell you that?�
�� No,�
Naruto answered simply.
�� Did you
hear it from someone else?�
�� Naruto was
silent, but he continued to fiddle with the bear in his lap until he began to
blink more rapidly as if he were fighting sleep . . . or tears.
�� Naruto,
how old are you?� Kakashi tried again. This time, Naruto�s chin started to
waver a bit and Kakashi backtracked a little.
�� I think
this is a very cute bear. Did Dr. Susuno give it to you?� he asked, mentioning
the ophthalmologist. Naruto had taken to the older man well. Kakashi liked him
for the easy going attitude and the gift he seemed to have with children. The
squat man, perhaps in his mid-forties, with graying hair cut close to his head,
a bulbous nose and soft grey eyes could take on Naruto�s case anytime as far as
he was concerned. Kakashi wouldn�t even have to ask to know that Iruka felt the
same. Naruto relaxed a little and looked owlishly at Kakashi. The blinking had
stopped and he took it as a good sign to try and continue questioning him.
�� You know I
wish I�d had a bear like that when I was a kid. I never got anything that nice,
even for my birthday.�
�� Naruto
perked up a bit at this as if Kakashi had said words he didn�t understand but
wanted to know. Kakashi smiled inside a little and continued.
�� Do you
know what a birthday is, Naruto?�
�� Maybe,�
Naruto said and Kakashi smiled for real this time.
�� Your
birthday is October, right? On the tenth?� Iruka
grinned as he leaned on the window ledge behind them and spoke up then.
�� You know
that�s only in a few weeks. And just think, maybe you can get Kakashi, who
hates spending money, to get you something. But we don�t know the things you
like and don�t like. So, maybe you can tell us if someone got you something
special but you secretly hated it? It�s okay if you did. Really, Naruto, we
don�t want you to get anything from us that you don�t like.�
�� Get me
something?� Naruto was trying to figure out what they were trying to get him to
say, so it wouldn�t be the wrong thing. �Like another Kuma-chan?�
�� Something
like that, only you already have one, so we mean something else you like.�
�� Naruto
brightened up and rose up on his hands to lean into Kakashi�s space. The older
man fought to keep his position relaxed at the sudden move at the same time as
he wanted to push the child back to the pillows. He looked so frail and his
feet were bare. He would have to mention it to the nurse. He hadn�t been
wearing shoes his size, though it couldn�t have been for long as he only had
minor redness on his toes instead of anything seriously wrong with them as a
result. There was a reason women�s feet had deformed in China during the foot-binding
practice that, surprisingly, lasted until the early 19^th century.
Kakashi had done a paper on it for his Women�s studies class at Mitarashi University. His major was in Psychology,
and he had a certification in child development, but he�d almost lost his
standing when he�d failed to complete enough credits for his bachelor�s degree.
He had only needed one, so he�d taken the first class to catch his eye during
the summer. As it turned out, it gave him an advantage with more than just the
criminals he saw on a daily basis. Naruto tugged at his sleeve and he looked at
the blue eyes he was sure probably couldn�t visualize much. Naruto surprised
him again during the two days he�d known him, delightfully so.
�� Hey,� he
whispered, �I got a train once, only it was little. I had a cake too, with
special frosting because it was my
birthday. He forgot the other times, see? So he wanted to make it better. Can I
ride on a train?�
�� Kakashi had
looked over at Iruka quickly at the mention of a man giving him a cake and a
train, but forgetting at other times. Naruto had not said it was Taka and
Kakashi knew he would have. At that moment though, Dr, Susuno came into the
room, along with the current physician-on-call for the general ward. Kakashi
stood up and watched Naruto peer at the two men, squinting slightly. He
apparently made out Dr. Susuno because he waved a little and pointed out
Kuma-chan, the bear, and then pointed to Kakashi and Iruka.
�� They came
to see me again. I think that means they really aren�t trolls, even though I
knew that already. Kakashi says I might get a birthday present. I want to ride
on a train.�
�� He seemed
very excited, perhaps from all the talking and the visiting. There was a rosy
flush to his cheeks. Kakashi frowned when the lead physician for his care took
a thermometer from the nurse and held it to Naruto�s ear.
�� It�s
really not all that hot in here and he hasn�t been moving around much yet this
morning,� he explained to Iruka�s questioning gaze. He frowned at the
thermometer when it beeped loudly and asked Naruto to sit up for a minute while
he listened to his chest. Though he hadn�t been coughing as far as Kakashi and
Iruka had heard, the doctor seemed to hear something as he turned to speak
quietly to the nurse.
�� I�m
ordering a CBC and a Chem. Panel.�
�� To Naruto
and the others he added, �He had a few coughing fits in the ER. The blood-work
they performed there didn�t show anything, but the fits started again last
night and with the fever, I want rule out pneumonia. I�ll start him on
antibiotics now while we wait. I�ll be back in a couple of hours with the
results and more medication.� The nurse injected a needle into the IV to
deliver it and with that he left the room. Dr. Susuno stepped forward once he�d
gone.
�� Well that
wasn�t very nice of him, leaving like that, now was it?� he asked Naruto who
solemnly shook his head.
�� Don�t
worry; he�s very good at his job. And if it is pneumonia, while that sounds
scary, it can be quite common when you spend nights outside in early September.
I�m sure you�ll be fine in no time at all,� he said, more for Iruka and Kakashi
who looked a little haggard around the edges, than for Naruto, who continued to
stare at him.
�� You�re
necklace is blue. It�s pretty,� Naruto said numbly and Kakashi and Iruka shook
their heads at each other. Kakashi sighed. It was going to be a long road, he
was sure. But the smile that crossed Naruto�s face when the doctor took the
necklace off, a light winking over his face and then Naruto�s as he did so, was
worth a hell of a lot. Naruto, surprise and delight clear in his eyes as he
gingerly took the necklace, made from some kind of rare metal and formed into
three crystal shaped pendants, the middle larger than the two surrounding it.
�� You can
hold onto that for a bit while I check your eyes and put in some more drops.�
He slid a rolling stool near the bed and pulled a numbered chart on a pole that
neither of the other men had noticed was in the room over.
�� I�d rather
do this at an office but the child needs to get some kind of prescription as
soon as possible. I figure since I consult here on occasion and they have this,
it can�t hurt to get him started. I can drop by with a pair of glasses if he�s
here long enough or just give you the prescription . . . hopefully anyway. His
cataracts may have progressed to the point of needing surgery.�
�� We�re
aware of that and Iruka has a social worker taking care of the details for our
application to foster him. They should be done and here by the end of the
week,� Kakashi told him.
�� Iruka had
taken a leave of absence at work and listed Kakashi�s address as his own for
Kurenai. She had said that she would need to call in a lot of favors
considering the government of Japan was beginning to subscribe to the adage
�the best parent is both parents�, which in their mind�s also meant
heterosexual couples undoubtedly always won out over the rare homosexual couple
who tried to adopt. Things might be changing, tolerance and western ideations
winning out over tradition and then again over the former western culture�s
ideals concerning gays and marriage and gays and child-raising, but not fast
enough for Iruka. Or, Kakashi had to admit, for himself now. Dr. Susuno, rather
than glaring at them mistrustfully as all Naruto�s other doctors had that
traipsed through the room as if they�d installed a revolving door, said
nothing. He simply nodded and lowered himself onto the stool and called Naruto
over to sit at the foot of the bed. He asked Naruto to cover his left eye with
a large, black plastic spoon, or at least that�s what it looked like to
Kakashi. There was probably some medical term for it to make it sound better.
To him, it was just one more reason to start a search for his parents� location,
and perhaps the local hospitals, for evidence that Naruto might have been a
patient at an earlier time. He�d already checked with the medical records
technician at Okada and found nothing. They watched silently as Dr. Susuno ran
through the eye exam with Naruto. When he was done he called them over.
�� I can
develop a prescription if he comes with me to the exam room on the third floor.
It has all the equipment I need in order to form a base line. As I said, the
prescription may need to be developed further, or I may need to add tinting to
the lenses to accommodate for the bright lights and the halos.�
�� Bright lights? Halos?� Iruka
asked, interrupted him.
�� Dr. Susuno
smiled. �Basically Naruto, when he looks at a headlight or a street lamp, has a
degree of photosensitivity. His squinting to the bright lights of a hospital
from the dark night outside gave me that impression. I tested for it in the ER
with the lights dimmed. He also told me he sees halos, though not in those
words, around street lamps or the headlights of cars. Don�t worry; I�ve got
pamphlets with me that you can read. For now, I�ve decided I really don�t want
to wait to test just how much of his vision I can help him with.� ��
�� Naruto,�
he turned to the boy, �we�re going to go for a walk. I�m going to take you to
an exam room, like the one you were in downstairs.�
�� Naruto
balked when the doctor told him that. He didn�t want to go near a room where
they might take his clothes.
�� Relax,
it�s only so I can check your eyes out better. That way, when I come back at
the end of the week, I might have some glasses that will help you see better.�
�� Naruto took
a moment to process this and then nodded. When Dr. Susuno took his hand and
helped him off the bed, he seemed to make a decision.
�� Can they
come?�
�� Dr. Susuno
looked up at the other two men and nodded. The nurse got him settled into a
wheelchair and traveled down with them so she could work the IV along. When the
arrived at the exam room, the doctor ushered them in and made sure everyone was
settled before he helped Naruto into the exam chair. He brought the phoropter
down so that Naruto could see it and explained that it was going to help him
calculate how to help his vision if he indeed could. Naruto looked at the
strange contraption with its dials on the side and the little view-holes with
interest.
�� What does
calculate mean?� he asked, pronouncing the word until it sounded exactly as it
had coming from the doctor.
�� Ah, well
it means . . .� the doctor fumbled a little. �It means to come up with, I
guess. And this,� he pointed to the machine, �is called a phoropter. I�m sure
not even Kakashi-kun or Iruka-san knew that. But, you do.�
�� Kakashi
bristled at the use of the lower honorific on his name but couldn�t stop the
bark of laughter from escaping him when Naruto smiled a tiny, smug smile and
stuck his tongue out at them cutely. Iruka chuckled as well and the doctor
smiled even wider. Dr. Susuno brought the phoropter into position as he talked
and guided Naruto�s head onto the chin rest, making it line up properly with
the small holes Naruto was to look through. When he began flipping through the
dials to start off at a point he felt might be an improvement, basing it off of
the chart readings, Naruto jumped a little in the chair and leaned back from
the machine. He stared at it dumbly while Iruka hummed in the back of his
throat, trying to keep from laughing. It really wasn�t all that funny,
considering how Naruto�s life must have been. Kakashi could hear it but his
eyes were riveted to the boy. It was astounding how much Naruto didn�t seem to
know at his age. �� But, then the
possibility that much of that had come from being raised in part by someone who
was mentally impaired hit him. And he really didn�t think it had been Taka.
Taka had looked like many people did when living on the streets for years. The
child, while malnourished and unclean, had not had the problems with his teeth
and hair that Kakashi had learned to associate with someone who�d suffered
homelessness for a prolonged period. The idea that naruto had been held
somewhere, or had been raised at least in part, by someone else also mentally
impaired fit. Of course, that revelation just added more questions and Kakashi
resolved to comb the child�s and the parents� records again. That they had
moved out of the country itched and rankled at him. It wasn�t unheard of for a
family to give up hope after so long, but never to the point that they would
move away, not if they had loved the child. Most mothers enshrined the room and
the fathers tended to hound the police, even after years of fruitless
searching, to find their child. Why had they moved away?�
�� Dr.
Susuno�s steady voice broke through his thoughts abruptly. He was asking Naruto
to tell him when the little numbers inside looked clearer or not or if they
stayed the same. When he was finished, Naruto looked worn out. He yawned boldly
and they all got a clear view of his teeth, canines oddly sharper than they
were perhaps meant to be. The nurse helped him back into the wheelchair while
Dr. Susuno pulled Kakashi and Iruka aside.
�� Well,� he
started while sighing, �his eyes are pretty bad. I was only able to correct
them to about 20/80. It�s better than his previous tests of 20/200. That�s
nearly half blind. But, only correcting them to that point, at such a young and
with this kind of condition isn�t good enough. I�ll leave some pamphlets about
the surgery and you can give me a call once all the paper work goes through.
Talk to him about it as well. But I would suggest making an appointment no
earlier than six months from now. My reasoning is that he should have a lot of
cognitive behavioral therapy as well as some measure of schooling first, so
that I�m sure he�ll be able to understand the condition and the surgery. He�s
too young to have to deal with it without my being sure he can understand or
not. If he can�t, we can work around it. But my feeling is that there�s hope
for him to gain nearly the same level of intelligence as a normal eleven year
old.�
�� The doctor
said farewell then, promising to return at the end of the week, but before
Naruto was released, with a frame book for Naruto to look through. Kakashi
caught the last of what he had said and turned to Iruka.
�� Eleven? I
thought you said he was twelve,� He accused.
�� He will be,
in about three weeks. So, I rounded up a little,� Iruka tried to defend his
actions.��
�� Iruka,
that means he�s confused about his age,� Kakashi growled.
�� Nu-uh,�
Naruto said sleepily from the wheelchair as it was wheeled into the room. �The
other doctor and Iruka explained it all. I�m eleven, but I�m going to be
twelve. But, I can�t wait that long, so I said they could say I was twelve
already. Are you mad, Kakashi?�
�� Mad? No,
I�m not mad,� but he had a hard time keeping the steel edge from whipping Iruka,
as it should.
�� You are,�
Naruto replied drowsily as he cocooned himself in his blanket, careful to keep
Kuma-chan on top so he could stroke him lightly. �But, that�s okay. You�ll get
better soon. If it helps, I could tell you a story. Taka told me a few. I know
one a-about . . . a train,� Naruto yawned widely through his little speech and
Kakashi sighed.
�� I�m not
mad anymore, as long as you understand, Naruto.�
�� Good. Can
we go ride the train now? I want to.�
�� No,
Naruto, you need to stay here. But I can leave a little something for you to
get snacks with. The nurse can go get them for you.�
�� Can I have
M&Ms? They�re really good. And a soda, too. The
orange one is my favorite.�
�� Kakashi
laughed a little and left some yen coins on the night table as Iruka blanched
at the mention of junk food. Naruto opened an eye to peek out at them when he
heard the tinkling sound they made on the wood. He shifted them around and
started counting silently, naming each one correctly. Kakashi smiled. He knew
numbers and he knew how to count. He also had seen money. Maybe, with the help
of a cognitive therapist, a private tutor, and some time, they�d be able to get
him to school by the time he was thirteen. Okay, so that was ambitious, but he
could hope. They left the room quietly as the nurse turned down the light and
Naruto drifted off to sleep.

�� Naruto woke
up slowly. The light in the room was dim and so it was harder for him to make
out everything in the room. The chair by the bed was easier to see because the
soft light spilling over the bed from the wide lamp just over his head. There
were clothes on the seat. A light blue sweater, white undershirt, a pair of
jeans, underwear and socks, even shoes, were just sitting there. A nurse saw
his eyes and smiled.
�� Kakashi
brought them by. He said he thought the sweater would be too big, but that he
knew you�d grow into it. Wasn�t that nice? I can help you try them on tomorrow
if you�d like. Did you want something to drink before I go? Maybe something
from the vending machine?� she spoke out quietly.
�� Naruto eyed
the money on the table but shook his head. He had a better idea of what he
wanted to do with it. The nurse left then, quietly shutting the door until
there was a line of light from the hallway peeking through. Naruto waited until
he didn�t hear any footsteps and climbed out of bed. The pants were easy enough
and the shoes. They fit better than his other ones and didn�t hurt when he
walked. They were a dark blue that he liked very much. Even the shirts went
around the tube okay but he knew it would have to come out, which meant the
alarm would go off. Naruto frowned a bit before going to the door to check the
station he could just make out in the deep shadows at the end of the hall. He
didn�t see anyone there and thought it might be a good time. Pulling the tube
out after he�d gone back to get the money, he headed for the stairway. It would
be quieter than the elevator. Once downstairs he was able to sneak past the
guard easy, being so small and quick. Outside the hospital, Naruto breathed in
the chill air deeply and opened his chest wide. It was refreshing after the
stuffy hospital room, even if the bed was a lot comfier than the blanket spread
over the pavement that he�d been used to. Naruto knew that there had to be a
station nearby because it was a big, important building and the train went to
important places. He�d seen men and women in sharp looking clothes and carrying
important looking boxes and cases from the overpass all the time. Walking along
the streets until he found a stair and a picture of a train on the sign, Naruto
headed down. When he reached the turnstile at the bottom, he frowned and
pouted. He didn�t want to jump over it because he thought that might be wrong.
But he saw a woman put a card into a slot and figured that was how you got
through. Now, how did he get one? The guard at the lighted boxes that had lines
and trains on them came over to talk to him, smiling.
�� Are you
lost, young man?�
�� How do I
get on?�
�� Excuse
me?� the guard asked, a little puzzled frown gracing his features. Naruto
didn�t catch it.
�� How do I
get on the train?� Naruto asked again patiently. The guard scratched his head
and told him how to put the money in the slot and to put in where you wanted to
go, then take the card and run it through the slot at the turnstile. Naruto did
as he said, but stopped before picking a destination.
�� Which one
is for the tower?� Naruto knew the name of the place he lived in, Shibuya, but
not where the tower was in Tokyo.
He couldn�t read the kanji on the sign either. He had never been able to; they
were all too small for him to make out. The guard scratched his head
thoughtfully.
�� Well, the
tower is in the Minato ward, which borders this so . . . ,� he reached over to
the light box and pressed a few buttons. Naruto handed him the money when he
asked for it. It turned out Kakashi had left just enough for him; perfect. The
card came out and Naruto raced through the turnstile before the guard knew what
had happened.
�� Hey, wait!
You shouldn�t ride the train so late by yourself. What are you doing? The shops
are closed now anyway!� the guard called hoping to stall the boy.
�� He moved so
fast, he knew he would never be able to catch him. The doors of the train
sitting at the station closed just as Naruto entered. The guard looked stricken
as he realized what had happened. About an hour later, when two men came
streaking down the stairwell, asking him about a young blonde boy, the guar was
relieved. He hadn�t looked in any shape to be out so late at night and without
a proper jacket. Though it was still only mid-December, the air had gotten cold
very quickly after the sun set. He hoped the child would be alright until the
men, one of them identified himself with a badge belonging to the Violent Crime
Division of Shibuya Police Headquarters, had found him.
�� Kakashi
threw an apologetic look at Iruka as they boarded the train.
�� Honestly,
I know he wanted to ride one but I never thought he�d sneak off in the middle
of the night to do it.�
�� It�s fine.
We�ll find him,� Iruka said through clenched teeth, �We�ll find him.� Kakashi
couldn�t tell if his lover was only angry or worried as well. It didn�t matter
right now though; they had to find Naruto first.

�� On the
train, Naruto stood near the door, working a little harder than he used to so
he could get his breath back. It must be the pneu-, the pnu-, whatever they had
called it. There were seats at either end of the floor and an open space in the
middle. Naruto loved every minute of the ride. He could hear the machine as it
sailed along the tracks and felt the hum of it under his feet. There was
another boy on the train and Naruto walked over to him slowly, weaving with the
movement of the train. He had darker hair, but it looked funny, held up at the
back of his head and an odd kind of blue at the tips. He also looked pale and
cold. Naruto wondered if he might be sick, like him and took off his sweater to
cover the boy with. Then, since he was sleeping and couldn�t look out for the
trolls. Naruto turned to face the empty train and stood watch. He heard the boy
stir softly and mumble a little. Naruto turned back and smiled.
�� Hello,� he
said brightly. The boy looked surprised, mouth hanging open a little and then
scowled down art the sweater in his hand.
�� Did you-
Did you do this?�
�� Yep! You looked cold. My name�s Naruto.�
�Sasuke," the other boy introduced himself, blinking up at him. Sasuke reached out a hand for him to shake, then pulled it back quickly to stare at it, stunned.

�� He
stood up then but a sheaf of papers and a thick pencil fell to the floor as he did
so.
�� Shit!� he
exclaimed and began picking them up. �I don�t need your help. Go away.�
�� Not even
to catch that one?� Naruto asked after a stray page that had been blown by the
rush of air from the tracks that seeped into the train at the front.
�� It�s fine,
don�t touch,� the boy snarled. Naruto scurried back from him carefully.
�� I was just
making sure the trolls didn�t get to you while you slept. Did you know there�s
blue in your hair? It looks funny,� he said defensively, pouting.
�� Trolls?�
The boy eyed the empty train cautiously before raising an eyebrow at him.
�� What are
talking about? There�s no one here,� he scoffed. Then he peered at the other
boy. �Naruto,� he said, rolling the name on his tongue a little. �You�re weird,
go away,� he finished decidedly.
�� Fine,�
Naruto said, shrugging. �But, you should put that on, it�s cold and you get
sick like I did from being outside too much without one,� he pointed to the
sweater.
�� Sasuke felt
the chill in his hands and he needed them more than anything. How else was he
going to draw? He pulled the sweater on over his head and sighed at the soft
fabric. It wasn�t his style, but it would do until they got to the last stop
and he could make his way back home. Naruto smiled at him and he looked away
feeling angry and self-conscious. He�d put the sweater on so he didn�t have to
do or say anything else to him, right?
�� You draw good. At least I think. I like this one,� Naruto squinted at
the top page and without touching anything and Sasuke grabbed them all up in
his arms reflexively.
�� Don�t
touch,� he hissed, �And, it�s you draw well
not good. What�s wrong with you anyway?�
�� I might
have pneu- numonia,� Naruto practiced carefully. �And cataracts in my eyes,� he
added helpfully. When faced with a direct question, as long as it wasn�t where
he slept or his name or age, he didn�t mind answering. Sasuke stared at him blankly.
�� What?�
�� I said -,�
Naruto started louder, maybe Sasuke couldn�t hear very well over the rush of
the train?
�� I heard
what you said. Shut up and sit down, will you?� Sasuke snarled a little then
felt uneasy about it. Naruto really hadn�t seemed to be lying about anything
yet, after all. The train rushed into the station that brought them near Tokyo Tower
and the automated voice announced their stop. Naruto brightened up and smiled
widely at him and Sasuke blinked.
�� I get off
here. I want to see the tower,� he said enigmatically.
�� W-wait,�
Sasuke rushed forward and caught his arm as he started to cross the threshold.
Naruto tugged at hid arm sharply, not liking the sudden contact.
�� Let go!�
�� Don�t be
stupid! You can�t go to the tower by yourself! It�s late and none of the stuff
is open anyway!�
�� I don�t
care! I want to see it! Let go!�
�� Hey, I�m
just trying to look-�
�� I don�t
want your help! I have Kakashi now � and Iruka � and I can take care of
myself!� Naruto pushed at Sasuke then twisted in his grip until he felt the
hand give way. He swiveled around but the doors had started to close on him
before he could get out of the way. They didn�t jump back from any obstruction,
even a body. Naruto felt something slam into him from behind and ended up
winded on the ground with Sasuke on top of him.
�� S-sorry,�
Sasuke mumbled in his ear, his limbs tangled into a mess with Naruto�s and
their chests pressed together. Then he made a face as if what he�d said had
tasted badly. He scrambled up and helped Naruto to his feet shakily.
�� I told you
to be careful.�
�� No, you
didn�t. You said not to go out,� Naruto exclaimed petulantly. Sasuke lowered
his eyes to the ground and scowled again.
�� Yeah, whatever.�
�� Naruto
sighed and coughed a little and Sasuke looked up at him. He noticed the flush
and the sweat glistening on his forehead. His cheeks had gone pale too. So, he
really was sick? Just then, Sasuke heard a rush of feet and he turned around to
see two men heading down the stairwell toward them. Sasuke backed off warily,
not sue who they were or what hey wanted. The worry in their eyes told him they
were probably here for Naruto, but he couldn�t be sure.��
�� Naruto! There you are! You had us so worried!� Iruka rushed
up to Naruto and stopped to crouch down and look him over for any injuries
without touching him.
�� Hi,
Iruka,� Naruto said calmly then turned to Sasuke. �This is Iruka. And that�s
Kakashi,� he pointed to him as he sauntered over, hands in his pockets.
�� Hey,�
Kakashi said with a wave and then he, too, bent down to look at Naruto.
�� You know,
Iruka�s right. We were all very worried about you when no one knew where you
were. It�s not a good thing to do that, running off without telling anyone.�
�� Worried?�
Naruto asked, frowning. �Like scared?�
�� Yes, Naruto, a bit like scared. Do you understand?� Kakashi
held his gaze until Naruto blinked and rubbed at his eyes, shaking his head.
�� Do your
eyes hurt? How about your chest? Have you been coughing at all?� Kakashi
questioned further while Iruka headed over to Sasuke and knelt a few feet away
from him.
�� Hi, I�m
Umino Iruka. Can you tell me your name? This isn�t exactly a good place to be
so late at night by yourself.��
�� Sasuke
looked warily at the men and backed away a little. His gaze flitted over to Naruto
and he caught sight of the hospital bracelet for the first time.
�� Is he
really sick?� he asked quietly.
�� Iruka
glanced at Kakashi cautiously.
�� A little,�
he replied, �but he�s getting better.�
�� So he�s
not going to die? People who are in the hospital die sometimes,� Sasuke asked,
his face a dead calm.
�� No, he is not going to die,� Iruka said firmly but
before he could say anything else, Sasuke had moved over to stand in front of
Naruto.
�� Okay,
that�s good I guess. You don�t look like his Dad, or you,� he tuned back to
look at Iruka shrewdly, �And you don�t have the same family name.�
�� Iruka gaped
at the boy for a moment before Kakashi laughed softly and shook his head.
�� Well,
you�re very smart,� to which Sasuke simply nodded as if he�d been told that
many times before.
�� No we
aren�t his parents but we may be able to have him live with us, as foster
parents.� Turning to stare evenly at Naruto and making sure to catch his
wavering eyesight, Kakashi asked, �Would you like that?�
�� Naruto
blinked before nodding at him and smiling at Sasuke.
�� Okay,�
Sasuke said again.
�� Iruka
sighed and tried to think of what to do about this strange boy while Kakashi
guided Naruto over to a bench to sit down. He had pulled his jacket off to
cover Naruto from the night chill that drew puffs of white smoke from their
breath. Sasuke, Kakashi had noticed, was wearing Naruto�s brand new long
sleeved sweater. He pulled it off and handed it over to him.
�� He gave it
to me on the train. I fell asleep while drawing and he said I looked cold. He
was standing in front of me the whole time and when I asked, he told me that he
had to make sure none of the trolls got to me while I slept. He�s weird,� he
said plainly. Then he turned and began heading toward the stairs that lead to the
surface street.
�� Whoa,
where are you going? I can�t just let you go home by yourself. Besides, it�s
far too cold for you to be walking without a better jacket,� Iruka called out.
�� Sasuke kept
going as Kakashi called to his lover.
�� Iruka!�
�� Iruka cast
his eyes behind him to see Naruto in Kakashi arms.
�� He nearly
collapsed before I could get him to sit. I think his fever�s gone back up.
Naruto, honey, can you here me? It�s Kakashi.�
�� Iruka
rushed over, pulling his phone out as he went. Naruto blinked and looked
blearily up at them, frowning.
�� Kakashi?� Naruto slurred at him.
�� Yes,
that�s right, and Iruka�s here too.�
�� Where�s
Sasuke?� Kakashi glanced at Iruka who was on the phone with an emergency
dispatcher asking for an ambulance. He didn�t see Sasuke at all anywhere. He
had no idea what to say.
�� He�s gone,
Naruto,� he said quietly. �Stay awake for me now. Did you two meet on the
train?�
�� Kakashi
tried to keep Naruto awake and talking. Passing out was not a good sign when
someone was ill.
�� Hmmm,
gone? I don�t want him to be gone. Where�s Taka? If he�s not here, the trolls
might come.�
�� Kakashi
felt his heart pound in his chest a little faster. Whatever Naruto had seen,
whatever had happened to his eyes and his memory, he was going to find it. He didn�t
think this Taka had anything to do with it, but he needed to be found, if only
to question him on how Naruto had come to be living near the overpass. Iruka
closed the phone when they heard sirens just outside the station entrance.
Kakashi smiled reassuringly at him and lifted Naruto into his arms gently. Naruto
swung an arm over Kakashi�s shoulder, sleep dragging at his eyes heavily. He
rubbed at his eyes trying to stay awake as Kakashi had asked.
�� I�m tired,
Kakashi,� he mumbled.
�� I know and
you�re going to get some rest, back in your room. Then, pretty soon you�ll be
feeling a lot better and you can come home with Iruka and I. Would you like
that?� Kakashi rambled as they made their way up to the paramedics heading down
the stairs.
�� I guess
so,� Naruto answered. His eyes slid closed and he passed out as Kakashi put him
on the gurney the technicians had guided him to. He and Iruka made their way to
their car and followed the ambulance to the hospital, both too nervous to
speak. Kakashi drove since Iruka had turned so pale he thought another
stretcher might be warranted. Was it really possible for someone to become so
attached to a person in so short a time? Is this that clich�d beginning, love
at first sight? Or, was their some truth to what a doctor saw inside a hospital
delivery room? When a father holds his child for the first time? Except Naruto
wasn�t theirs, not yet, and for all that he trusted Kurenai to work her magic
with the system, he might stay that way.
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Safe House