The Mystery

“I want my mommy, I want my mommy. “ It became a chant for the little boy huddled on the forest floor. It was cold and dark and he was all alone. Why had mommy left him. They had been at the mall when Ryou ran off after his mother had told him he couldn’t have the car set that he really wanted. He had fallen asleep on a bench in the food court and had woken in the middle of this forest. “ I want my mommy I want my mommy.”
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“ What’s that noise?” Kakashi asked Asuma pausing in the middle of there sparing.
Asuma stopped and listened he could hear the same faint noise that Kakashi was talking about. “ Don’t know, lets go find out,” They made there way to the outer edge of the training area. What they found left them speechless and looking at a little boy. He was dirty except for the little tear tracks that had made there way down his cheeks.
“ Who is he? Do you recognize him?” Kakashi shook his head.
“ No.” He bent down and picked the little boy up he fussed at first then settled into his arms.
Kakashi sighed when he finally settled and asked, “ Who are you?”
The little boy tilted his head. “ Ryou, who are you?” he pouted and sniffled a little looking up at the masked man holing him
“Cheeky little thing, I’m Kakashi and this is Asuma.” He said nodding to the smoking Ninja.
“ Icky.” he said then laid his head on Kakashi’s shoulder. he felt comfortable with the mysterious men who had found him.
Kakashi chuckled while Asuma puffed up his chest.” Real men smoke.”
“So what should we do with him?” Kakashi hoisted the Ryou higher. He wasn’t heavy but he was wiggling.
“ We should take him to the hospital to make sure he’s ok, we don’t even know how long he’s been out here. “ Kakashi agreed.
The nurses fussed over the little boy when the two men brought her in. “ What a cute little boy! What’s your name?”
Ryou glared at the nurse and held on tightly to Kakashi’s neck. It looked like he wasn’t going anywhere. “ Asuma, I don’t think I’ll be leaving very soon.” He said while trying to pry the child’s arms from his neck so the nurses could look at him.
“ You’ll just have to hold him Kakashi-san.” The nurse patted the bed indicating that he would have to sit. He gave a long sigh and looked at the boy that was holding on to his neck. He should have known he was going to be trouble. He had wild red hair but that could just because of the days he spent in the forest. What cause his attention most about the little boy was the big green eyes that seemed much older than the body they resided in but he could also see the spark of mischief .
“ He’s just fine, a little dirty, a little dehydrated but that’s all.” The nurse left the room and brought back some juice for the little boy. “ Drink this sweetheart.” She said handing the boy the juice. Ryou took the juice and drank from the cup. “ Ok Kakashi-san you can take him to the Hokage now.
Kakashi nodded and took him from the hospital and went to the Hokage’s quarters.
Ryou clutched Kakashi’s neck even tighter as several unfamiliar faces were introduced to him.
“ Ryou-chan this is the Hokage, he is the leader of this village. He’s going to ask you a few questions is that alright?”
Ryou stared at the middle aged man’s face and nodded deciding that he looked nice enough. Kakashi set him in a chair before the Hokage and stood behind her. He looked around the room and wondered why Ibiki was here, She was a child for god sakes.
“ Ok Ryou-chan how old are you?”
“ Five.” He said holding his hand up like any child would.
“ Ah that’s a good age, there are a lot of children that age around here. So tell me Ryou-chan where are you from?”
“ Lauderdale, Mass. My phone number is…” He paused, mommy had made Him remember but now he couldn’t remember anything. “ I don’t remember.” He said looking down.
They all looked around they had never heard of anything called Lauderdale or Mass for that matter.”
“That’s ok Ryou-chan, now can you tell us how you got here?”
“We were at the mall and mommy wouldn’t buy me a car so I ran away. I fell asleep on a bench and when I woke up I was here.”

A long silence filled the room, just how far had this little boy traveled?
“Ok that’s enough for tonight. Kakashi-san you’ll take him with you.”
Kakashi blinked,” Eh? Me but I don’t know anything about children. I would be better if you got a couple to look after him.”
“ Kakashi he’s already gotten attached to you, I doubt he would go with anyone else.”
“ Kakashi-san I’ll help you with him.” Iruka-Sensei volunteered.
Kakashi nodded agreeing to an help he could get.
After the Hokage had dismissed them, some time later Iruka stood in Kakashi’s bathroom door shaking his head in awe. The man had no clue how to deal with children and yet this little boy absolutely loved him. He gave a small chuckle as the little boy just sat there watching Kakashi as he washed him with a small cloth. he really was a well behaved boy.
“ Iruka-san ?”
“ Yes Kakashi-san?”
“ Uh do most children have these?”
“ Huh?” Iruka moved closer and saw what Kakashi was talking about, the boy had black bands tattooed around his wrist. “ They look like tattoos but I’ve never seen any like this on a child before.” He thought of Kiba-kun and his clan markings but this boy wasn’t like that.
“There are more on his back.” Kakashi said pointing at the two parallel lines between the boys shoulder blades.
“Ryou-chan did you have these before?” Ryou shook his head solemnly.
Iruka looked at Kakashi, yet another mystery to add to this boy.