Icha Icha Paradise

~~~~~Chapter 3~~~~~

There was silence in the hall, waiting for the pin to drop. The 6 of them simply sat staring. They couldn’t see his face because his head was down, but they got a good look at the bright blond hair and the tanned skin along with the well shaped body.

“Uhhh. I’m Naruto.” He bowed low, not rising up for a few minutes. There was still silence, so he continued to look down. The silence was broken by footsteps coming from somewhere in front of him, then they stopped right in front of him, but he still didn’t look up.

Gaara looked back at the others, seeing that they were still transfixed in a gaze on the boy. He knew it would end up like this. He reached forward and lifted the boys chin, looking him in the eyes and then stepping aside so that the others could see as well.

The second Naruto got a glimpse of his face, he perked up slightly. At least he had seen one of them before. “AH! Your that guy from earlier!” He smiled, happily, glad that Kotatsu wasn’t the only one in the room he knew. But wait, that would make him… oh.

The smile radiated around the room and seemed to break the trance that had fallen over the people in it, though it was sill rather quiet. Sasuke stood, walking over to stand in front of Naruto, watching him intently. His cold gaze sent shivers down Naruto’s spine but he didn’t look away. The calculating look in his eyes put a look of curiosity on his own, wondering what on earth it could be that the raven could be thinking.

Gaara watched Sasuke. Not many would be able to pick out the differences, but he was switching between awe, curiosity, analization and at times even consideration. Though consideration for what was beyond Gaara. “Well? Sasuke?”

Sasuke turned his head with a glare. It was bad enough that Gaara had proven himself right, and now he was rubbing it in right in front of Naruto. Turning around, he walked back to the table, this time sitting on top of it instead of at it. “Well then… Naruto. Have a seat.”

Kotatsu lead Naruto to one of the plush chairs and let him sit down. It was like a little touch of heaven on his ass to sit on something with padding. Something soft. He sunk into it, but didn’t lean back and relax. The worst was yet to come.

Gaara took a seat on the chair a few feet away from him and Shikamaru sat up from his position on the couch. Kakashi put his book away and Neji came over from the corner to sit down on the couch beside Shikamaru. Kiba leaned forward, grabbing a glass of water from the table and sitting back, pulling his legs up into a crossed position in front of him.

The silence stretched on again as the 6 of them assessed the situation.

It was finally broken when Kiba spoke up. “So. Care to tell us what’s going on?” Though they already pretty much knew the story, they wanted to see if he would change anything.

Naruto sighed. “I don’t really know. I was coming back from some work out of town on a farm, and remembered that today was my birthday. So I bought some cake, headed over to the ramen stand, ordered some foot and ate. But while I was eating, I got this really sharp pain in my back and I sprouted wings. Woke up in a jail cell and was brought here.”

Neji looked away. Not much detail, but the basic outline. “Alright. Do you know why you hadn’t sprouted wings before today, or if perhaps its possible that you did have them before?”

Naruto shrugged. “I don’t know if I had them before. If I did, then I was too young to remember. But I’ve never been with my birthparents. I was taken in as an infant. My blood parents died, at least that’s what I was told. But when I was about 8, there was an attack on my foster parents. They and my sister were killed. I don’t know how I managed to escape, but after that, I traveled until today. Nothing else that could even hint at this happening.” He looked up at them with big eyes. Maybe they knew. Maybe…

Kakashi sighed. Pulling up the cloth that normally covered his left eye, he opened it and watched the boy closely. “Now, tell me again. You had no idea that you were an angel before you sprouted your wings. Am I right?” Naruto nodded. “And you were only traveling, right?” Again a nod. “You had no ill will towards the castle, its inhabitance or the country?”

“No sir! I love this country. There are so many friendly people and there’s good work to be found! Its beautiful, and the city’s are nice and small. Not horribly overcrowded.” He leaned forward in eagerness, hoping that his explanation got across properly to them. He wanted to stay here.

Kakashi nodded. “He seems to be telling the truth.” The rest of them nodded. But they couldn’t just let him go. They had not only the people to think about, but also their reputation. As shallow as it sounded, a lord was only a good a lord as his people said they were. If they released Naruto back into the country, then rumors would fly about why, and how. About what had gone on and about the leaders giving up on them.

Gaara nodded. “Kotatsu, take him to the guarded guest room. Gather Genma, Izumo, Anko, Hayate, and Raido and tell them not to let him out of their sight.”

Kotatsu bowed as acknowledgement and helped Naruto to stand. He lead him out of the room and informed Genma, who was again outside the door to go gather the others. The man ran off with a grin on his face and a bounce in his step.

~~~~

“Well we cant let him go back out! What will the people say! The last thing we need is to loose authority. The country would fall into devastation. Our forces wouldn’t be as strong leaving both us AND our neighbors open for attack. We have a treaty to uphold!”

Nobody bothered replying to the rant Kiba seemed to find himself on. For three hours now they had been discussing the possibilities of what to do with him. It was obvious that they couldn’t just kill him. He’d done nothing wrong. And that was the same for exile. He seemed to like it here, and not only that, but they had no grounds to do it with. Though tough guys, they were fair as well. But like Kiba said, they couldn’t just let him go again.

Silence fell again at a glare from Gaara, Sasuke and Shikamaru. The three of them was enough to force him to sit back down in his chair. Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose, a headache beginning to form. “We know Kiba. But we cant just kill him. We also cant exile him. We have no evidence that he’s done anything wrong. Actually, he’s the perfect picture of a model citizen.”

Shikamaru sighed, sitting up again. “Well then, there’s only one thing left to do.” All eyes flew to the boy, curious as to what he had to say. Shikamaru was a pretty level headed genius, and generally, once all the issue’s were found by the other 5, it didn’t take long for a good plan of action to be put forth. “We keep him.”

Shocked faces were all he got as a response.

“No. You guys, listen first, yell later. Think about it. He’s a traveler with no real home right? Well, he’s also a Tenshi and considered a threat by the people. We could put out word that he’s a good guy, but that leaves us open. Suddenly we have enemy tenshi sneaking in the same way he got in, and they’re playing the nice guy act so we let them stay. Of course, big issue there. Then consider the fact that we cant kill or exile him. That means he has to stay in this country, alive. Next, consider the fact that there is nowhere else for us to let him go. If we keep him here, he’s no longer homeless, he isn’t wandering the country, the people think he’s a servant or slave here, therefore we haven’t ‘gone soft’ or whatever their fir ball brains can think up, and yet we’re still fair by allowing him to keep his life since he’s done no wrong to us.” Shikamaru reasoned out all the flaws and opened up new doors for possibilities.

Silence met him and he leaned back, putting his hands behind his head. He came up with the plan, let them iron out the details. But he doubted they’d even use it. Though it seemed like a good plan, there were other things they had to think of. Like, what he would do when he found out, what they would have him do to keep him occupied… other small things like that.

“Have the maids run a bath for him and give him a set of new cloths”

Shikamaru nearly choked on his own tongue. They were really going to use it.

~~~~

“HA! I WIN AGAIN!” Naruto jumped up, knocking his seat backwards and threw his hand on the table. “STRAIT! 9 through king!” Groans were herd through the table and Naruto collected his winnings. The pile of chips in the center suddenly disappearing. He popped one in his mouth and grinned. “Ready for another round?”

The small guard group that had been gathered to guard the blond had fallen into a friend stage pretty quickly. Though it was hard not to once they saw Kotatsu being all buddy buddy with him. He leaned back with a wide grin. “Well, if you don’t want to you don’t have to. I mean its easy to get discouraged when you keep loosing to me.”

There was silence for a few minutes before a chair squeaked and Naruto looked forward to see Genma get up. He walked around the table, Naruto following with curious eyes. Naruto had been warned against Genma, but he wasn’t sure what they were warning him about. The guy seemed normal and friendly enough.

~Flashback~

“Alright. Now these guys are friendly enough. But they all have their own quirks about them.” Kotatsu was met with curious eyes and he sighed. “Well, for example… Anko. She’s a good person and all, but she’s kinda crazy. Hayate is one of the healthiest people around, but he’s constantly got this cough. Radou, he’s scary on the outside and he looks like he’s going to kill you, but he could actually be smiling at you. Izumo, he’s the normal one. And well as for Genma… Just avoid him like the plague.”

Naruto tilted his head sideways wondering what on earth could be wrong with Genma. He had seen the man outside the doors when they walked out and he had seemed perfectly normal and friendly.

~End Flashback~

“He’s good at gambling AND a hunk!” A pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around his chest and he was heaved from his chair, suddenly finding his face crushed against the chest of Genma. “Can I keep him?! Please!?”

The group laughed and shook their heads while Naruto tried to free himself, only causing more laughter. Genma looked down to the blond and smirked. For whatever reason, it scared Naruto. “I mean, with that kind of body, I’m sure he could get into a lot of different positions! Just think of the possibilities!”

With that, his savior came. “Let him go Genma. We all know you’re a flamer, but who knows about the kid. Besides, your suffocating him.” Genma looked down at Radou’s comment and sighed, loosening his grip but not completely letting go.

“Sorry kid. But even if he’s not a flamer, one time with me and he will be!” The man seemed quite proud of this. His grip never relinquished, even with Naruto pushing. Finally, Radou stood, and Genma let go immediately, not wanting to be on the receiving end of his punishment again. Naruto took in a large gulp of air and scuttled to hide behind his savior.

The group laughed again and Kotatsu sat forward. “I warned you didn’t I? He’s crazy, but we’ve all learned to put up with him.” He ducked as a glass flew at his head and laughed again.

“What do you mean put up with me! You all love me and you know it! Your sex drives would plummet if I weren’t here!” He went for another glass, just missing it as Anko moved it out of his line of reach.

“Speak for yourself Genma. Hayate and I here, we don’t have sex drives.” She grinned looking over at the coughing guard, who in turn coughed and nodded.

“Well, I don’t. But once” Cough cough “once you get drunk, your all about sex.” He smirked to himself, leaning back with another cough. “Besides, its better that way.” He ignored the glares he received from Anko and Genma, instead turning to Kotatsu. “So, did they give you any clue at all as to what they were going to do with him?”

It was a question they had been avoiding up till now, but now was as good a time as any to voice it and think over it. But Kotatsu shook his head. “They seemed interested, but other than that, it was like all the other times. Quiet, calculating… Kakashi even used the Sharingan on the kid. I’m pretty sure Sasuke used it too, but I wasn’t paying too much attention.” He sighed sitting forward.

“Wait… What’s a Sharingan?” All eyes snapped to Naruto who was sitting there now worried that there was something horribly wrong with him. Either because the guy had to use this… Sharingan or because this Sharingan was used on him.

Hayate shook his head. “Its not what you think kid. The sharingan is a special ability passed down in the Uchiha bloodline. It’s a powerful eye technique. I cant really tell you many” cough “details, but rest assured, its only bad for you if you get in a fight with them.”

Naruto was about to ask another question, but at that moment, the doors opened and a woman stepped in the room with a bow. “I’m sorry for interrupting. The lords have ordered a bath run for Mr. Naruto and a spare set of cloths have been picked out.”

Izumo nodded and stood with a stretch. “Well, they never give a bath and new cloths to anybody, so it cant be all bad ne?”

It was that rising feeling in the pit of Naruto’s stomach that told him Izumo was wrong.