How orphan boys play

OMG! It's finally freakin' here. I checked the lat time i updated this thing, DECEMBER. Damn college. But that's this block's dealine up. We've got another one starting on monday but here's hoping I can get another chapter done before the work load starts to pile up. Thanks again for waiting guys. I hope you haven't forgotten me ;_;

How Orphan Boys Play

Ch5

Special Boys

Nothing like a good game first thing in the morning. Two little boys were searching high and low for today’s picture clue. When these two wanted to know where their third friend was, they looked to the fence of great wisdom. What you seek cannot hide from the great fence. Yeah right! It’s more like a memorial to….well, what was once a nicer fence. However, it still served a useful purpose.

“Why does Sai always have to draw his clue in the deep end?” Gaara dragged his thin legs through the ocean of green, watching carefully for anything that might surface for a nibble of little boy. It was a great place to hide; full of high trees and grass and sometimes old animal burrows but, it’s a hell of trek to trail through.

“You know Sai,” said Naruto, climbing over a dead log. “He likes to give us a challenge”

“More like making us take longer so he can draw without us around” Naruto just grinned while side stepping a large rock. Gaara just always had to look for a bad side to everything. Kurenai once told the blonde it was a defence mech…mechani.…something. Whatever. All it meant to Naruto was he had to find the good side. He turned around, trailing backwards with the green blades brushing the backs of his knees.

“Hey, come on. If that were true then he’d never even leave us a clue in the first place” Gaara couldn’t argue with that. Sai was weird sometimes but then, so was Naruto. He knew Sai wouldn’t be that mean. He could say stuff without realising how rude it was but, he wasn’t malicious. Sai just liked his quiet time and some space to draw but that’s often a difficulty with a certain, restless someone. “Found it!” The red head nearly bumped into the blonde. The pair were close end of the old fence, a few more steps and they’d be trailing through the river bank. Sai must be working on something good again is he drew the clue this far down. Gaara tip-toed to look over Naruto’s shoulders.

“What’s it this time?” This was the fun part; Sai’s clues were better than any mystery novel Gaara had ever read. They were just about the only two who could figure them out and that made it even more fun. Black markings against flaking white showed an outline of a circle with straight lines sticking out all the way around like needles in Kurenai’s sewing cushion. Beneath was a silhouette of a see-saw with a frog and bushy tailed Tanuki on either end.

“Should have guessed”

XXXX

There was a small park on the east side of Konoha, almost completely hidden from view by a thick cluster of trees and woodland and would have continued that way if it weren’t for three little boys playing ultimate tag. It was still in good condition too; the swing chains were rusty but you could still swing as high as the sky, the paint on the slide was peeling but it didn’t scratch your butt like the all the other playgrounds and the see-saw could hold all three of them. (It also made a nice place to lay and stare at the sky) Sure enough, that’s where Sai was. His long frame, clad in his favourite short black clothes, was laying length ways along the plank of wood; head and toes almost touching the handle bars. The sun was in the best spot of the day, flowing through gaps of the canopy and bathing the pale boy beneath in a subtle, summer warmth. He could feel the light suddenly being blocked from his direction. His umber orbs opened, expecting to see a pesky cloud but instead, was faced with green and blue.

“What took you guys so long?” Now he was met with a grouch and a pout. Sai didn’t even bother to push away the finger prodding his nose.

“You drew your clue on the far side of the fence, dummy. That’s what took us so long” Sai just casually closed his eyes.

“No”, he cooed. “I drew it on the closest end. You just started at the wrong end” And there was sweet victory once again. Sai knew what he just said was complete nonsense but his ability to keep a straight face fooled Naruto every time and he just loved seeing the blonde have a temper tantrum over it. During this well known scene of verbal warfare, Gaara just found a comfy spot on the ground and waited patiently, silently thinking he could read a short novel in the time it would take these two to finish. How many times had Naruto led him through more thick than thin situations, just to find out there was an easy answer right at the start? Too many to count. Oh well, at least this time he wasn’t fifty feet off the ground, swimming through leeches or tunnelling.

The trio rocked back and forth, Sai now standing and balancing easily as the other two pushed and landed lazily. Silent occasions between them were pretty rare, especially with Naruto but this time it was Gaara who broke the silence.

“So……we got adopted” A minute later and Naruto coaxed himself to speak.

“Yeah, pretty much” A couple of bounces later and he’d had enough. The blonde abruptly stood up, causing the other two to collapse like dominos and land in a pile. Quickly, the cheeky frog hopped over them and ran like crazy. The dirt and grit kicked up from under is feet while his friends hastily followed. The trio dashed and darted between the forest of dark and deciduous trees, their laughter running with them and their game. Sai ducked beneath the overhanging chunks of brown and green, chasing that mad, blonde orange and smiling widely as he did. Gaara carried his little legs as fast as he could. He may not be as fast as the taller two but he could keep up. Without warning, the boy at the front stopped and, just as sudden, crashed to the grassy ground as Sai slammed into him and Gaara came tumbling after. The three of them piled into dry leaves that flew above them and through the air as the boys laughed at the sky peeking over them. As they calmed down with the after burn of running, jumping and laughing, Naruto finally felt at ease.

“So what’s it like were you guys stay?”

The other two answered almost in unison, “It’s okay” Naruto grinned cheeks rising with a rosy cheer. For once he actually picked up on the hidden message.

“That’s great! Means it went better than how we first met” He stretched his arms behind his head, feeling daisy petals tickle his finger tips. “Remember how that went?”

XXXX

Trouble, thy name is Uzumaki. Or at least it will be when Kurenai finds out what happened. The woman was sweeter than honey but the last time there was something in the house that didn’t live there, that sweet went sour pretty quickly.

When you live in house with dozens of other kids, there’s very little that you can claim as your own. Your clothes are hand-me-downs from who knows how many people and the toys are all shared and restricted to certain times. So, as soon as you find that something that you can proudly say belongs to you, you keep it close and tight. However, for most people, that something wasn’t an amphibious pond dweller. And most people wouldn’t let it run loose in a house where animals weren’t allowed. Oh how few grey hairs Kurenai would have to dye if Naruto were like most little boys. Sadly, he wasn’t and a bottle of black dye will continue to be purchased every month.

“Gamakichi! Get back in the box!” Oh, he really was going to get it this time. But Naruto just couldn’t help himself. For weeks he’s been hunting this beautiful beast of a toad. It’s magnificent colour and strange black markings around it’s eyes just beckoned to be captured by the little blonde. Hunting that toad brought out a truly wild spirit within the boy, like he was born to be toad himself. After weeks of tracking, following and failed traps, he finally caught the creature now known as Gamakichi. And now it was loose!

It had started as a simple trip to the kitchen, just to get a snack for himself and the resident of a shoe box. However, like most hostages trapped in a confined area, once an opening appears, they’re gonna bolt for it. The toad went a leaping, some cereal went a flying and the blonde came tumbling after. Cornflakes were crushed to crumbs, barely breaking the fall. Naruto was sturdier than that though and a trip from the counter wasn’t going to stop him losing his prize (and only) possession. There had been countless times when Naruto had been told to close the door behind him. If he had done when going into the kitchen, then he wouldn’t be chasing a leaping lump of red through the dining room. Beneath the never ending table and in between numerous chairs and not even close. This toad was gonna put up a fight whether it had a chance or not. Too bad for another little boy who happened to be in the dining room looking for some peace and quiet. The child with skin as pale as peeled potatoes had sought a quiet place, desperately. Because today, he finally had some. Today, he finally managed to get some paint from the craft room. It was no more than a blob and wasn’t even a real colour but, that tiny cup of black to Sai was like having the a whole palette because, he had to fight to get it. Well, not so much in the way of fighting and more getting pushed to the back and praying lots. After endless attempts, it finally paid off and now it was all his. No-one to bother him, no loud screeching, no flying glue bottles and no sequince being stuck to his hair. Just paper, peace and paint. Suddenly, the table jolted. Sai immediately reached out to grab the cup but, as he did, the table jerked again. Sai’s small fingers fumbled frantically and he caught the plastic surface awkwardly. It popped from his hands like a bar of soap and fell to the floor. A small black splodge stained the floor but all Sai could see was red. Paper was unconsciously scrunched and ready to tear apart. Dark eyes never left the mark on the floor but the line of vision was blocked by a mess of yellow hair. The child beneath the table was too focused, for once, to notice the mess and the fury he’d caused around him. All he cared about was the toad making a get-away right out the dining room door.

As Naruto chased the escaped out the door, a white sheet was being shredded. Another pair of feet were now part of the chase. Naruto wasn’t having much luck pursuing Gamakichi though. It could have been Naruto’s imagination but he was sure that toad had deliberately tried to get him in trouble. He’d managed to run through two hallways and the foyer without being seen by anyone but there’s only so far he could go before he got caught and this house was full of snitchers. For a moment, the toad suddenly halted, probably to catch his breadth. No wonder; he’s been hopping up flights of stairs like he had springs instead of muscles for legs. Naruto picked up the pace when saw Gamakichi had stopped right outside the creepy stairs! No-one ever comes around here because of…..uh-oh. Naruto just remembered why no-one came around here; this is where the green eyed monster lives. For a while he’d heard stories of the Shukaku stairs; the wicked and blood thirsty demon that would wait at the top of the stairway and snatch curious children to eat for breakfast. Suddenly facing Kurenai didn’t seem so bad. The blonde unintentionally slowed down, which meant his pursuer could finally catch up. One second, Naruto was gazing up the eerie flight of dark steps, numbly watching his toad hop further and further away, the next he was flat on the floor with a loud smack and just managing to protect his nose from being flattened against the hardwood. Blonde roots were yanked back and slammed back down just as quickly. Wild images of monstrous fangs were being pounded into Naruto’s skull, literally. He quickly folded his arms to block his forehead from being turned into brain pudding.

“You ruined it!” What the? That doesn’t like a mon-

“Ow! Get off!” The one on the floor swung his arm over his back, sending the one on top across the floor. Naruto’s guess was right, it was just some kid! And as the unspoken law of children goes; ‘you hit me. I hit you’. Naruto crouched and sprung from his legs just as the kid with black hair sat up. They slammed together in a pile and the each grabbed the others shirts aggressively. Sai threw his weight in a circle, trying to get the ruiner off him and tear the rest of his hair out but this pest was stronger than he looked. They scrambled madly like territorial dogs until the sound of a bigger dog made itself known. It was only a thud but it was where it came from that made the two boys freeze. Another thud and then another. It was coming down.

“That kid’s coming down” Kid? He meant monster right? Naruto saw a pair of tiny feet pass the blind spot of the door way. Even from where Naruto was hunched over he could still see the dust caked onto the socks. Ankles. Knees. Waist.

Rrrrriiiiiiibbit

“Gamakichi!” Naruto heard before he saw and was ready to rush right up the stairs until something grabbed his wrist.

“Idiot. What are you doing?”

Naruto jerked his arm free. “Getting Gamakichi”

A tiny, dry voice spoke, “Is that his name?” A really small kid stood at the foot of the stairs. He had a short crop of blood red hair, his skin was almost as pale as Sai’s and his eyes looked like they hadn’t slept since he was born. He was holding the toad in his tiny hands but Sai was preventing Naruto from getting close enough to retrieve it.

“Don’t go near him! He’ll eat you”

Naruto blinked. “Eat me?” He looked back and returned to Sai. “He’s smaller than you” Sai made an angry pout. For a moment he thought he should just let that monster eat this pest but if Kurenai-Sensei found out, he’d be in for it big time. “You know that kid who broke his arm last week?” A pale finger pointed straight at the red head. “He did that after trying to bite it off! And that real big kid who’s got the burns, he did that from throwing hot soup on him. Then he tried to bite his leg off. He bites everyone cause he’s a monster”

“No I’m NOT!” The two furthest from the stairs stared at the red head. He didn’t look like he could even shout that loud. “I….I didn’t mean to do it!” His teeth grit fiercely and his eyes flared madly yet not actually looking. What Naruto noticed most were the hands clamping tightly around a wailing toad. “I’m not a monster!” The angry child spread his arms wide in protest. He hadn’t even done anything this time and was still being called a monster. Kurenai-Sensei keeps saying it’ll get better. He’ll make friends if he just tries but it’s not happening. It feels like it’ll never end. The name calling, the teasing the pushing and the shoving. Some days felt like they’d be a lot better if he just never left his bed and hid in the covers, away from everyone. But, sometimes it gets lonely under the covers. So, he kept trying. And trying. And trying. It’s not getting better. “I’m not a monster!” What Gaara hadn’t realised was how his hands had also spread widely. It was the loud smack against the wall that caused Gaara to freeze. The strangled croak that made his knees shake and the final thud on the floor that made his head turn and pupils shrink in horror. “No…..”, came a tiny quiver. “I….I didn’t…..I didn’t mean-” He barely finished. Never even had a chance to look away before he joined the terminated toad on the floor. Tiny legs, clad in tattered shorts, curled into Gaara’s stomach as if it would keep the teeth of pain from biting him more. It felt different from what he expected; someone punching him, and it wasn’t how he thought it would happen either. All the other boys played punching and kicking games together but, they all laughed together. Gaara clutched his head tightly but he couldn’t hold it in. Too much pain inside, now being ripped open by pain on the outside. He’d held in the cry for too long.

Naruto stood in awe. When he threw his fist at that monster, he’d been so angry. Seeing Gamakichi on his back brought out hatred beyond belief. He’d wanted to do so much more than punch. Kick, Tear. Claw. Everything to make that monster pay. Until he saw the boy crying his eyes out. The blonde turned with confused eyes to Sai, “I thought you said he was a monster?” The dark eyed boy just narrowed his gaze and clasped his hands behind his back.

“He is a monster. Just look at what he did to that thing he was holding” Sai did have a point but, there was something Naruto just couldn’t shake off. It pinched the back of his shoulders and churned it’s way down to his tummy. He saw the crying boy grow smaller with each step closer he took. Slowly, the blonde kneeled down next to the tight, crying ball. It was difficult to ignore the lifeless lump just across from him but Naruto kept his stomach down. Tentatively, he reached out, fearing that if he was wrong and this was a monster then he was about to lose some fingers.

Gaara flinched as something touched his head. Instinct screamed to get up and run before those two could hurt him more. Run back upstairs and hide in the dark forever, away from everyone for good. No one goes into the shadows. He’ll be alone but safe, forever. But poor Gaara couldn’t run. He was trapped. When he felt whatever had touched him, he had tried to run. But something caught him, keeping him in this place of hurt.

“Don’t hurt me! Please! Let me go!” It had his foot, then his leg and soon the other. Why did Kurenai-Sensei say it was going to stop when it wasn’t? It’s never going to stop. It’ll always be like this. All it will ever be is monster.

“You’re not a monster!” Nails that had been clawing savagely at the edge of the stairs suddenly stopped. Gaara bravely turned his head and nearly gasped aloud at the fierce eyes staring into him. “I know you’re not a monster” Gaara couldn’t stop shaking. The lump in is throat grew larger, squeezing tear after tear from his wide eyes. As Naruto’s eyes turned away, Gaara’s followed them. Both pairs faced the deceased creature between them. “You killed him” Gaara winced, expecting that to have been shouted but instead, it was soft. “But you didn’t murder him. That’s what a monster does” Even though he told himself so many times, being called a monster everyday by so many people makes it harder to believe you’re not. Hearing someone else say it was confusing the red head.

“How….*hic*…..do you know that? *hic* I’ve always been a monster. Everyone says so. Even my*hic*uncle.” *hic* Naruto could finally let go of Gaara’s legs. The blonde crawled until he was at the read head’s side, face to face.

Whenever Naruto felt scared or sad, he would always hide it and no-one could tell. Except one person. She always gave you a hug to make you feel warm. She would let you cry with no-one around to see or hear. She always gave you a kiss and let you know you are her special boy.

Gaara was pulled into something he’d never shared with another person. Kurenai had tried to so many times but he was too scared to get so close. His tiny, shivering arm felt the beat of two hearts pressed against them. Warm hands nestled on his back as if trying to pull him in even closer. It was like they pressed some sort of button inside. Everything bad. Everything scary. Everything dark. It was like it was all melting around him. He could have cried more when those arms pulled away a little but the warmth moved somewhere new. Naruto presses is lips to Gaara’s forehead, just like Kurenai. Just like all those late nights of secret crying. Goodnight kisses. Then, something amazing happened. Naruto realised the reason why Kurenai was always so kind to him. It was the smile. It was the tiniest string of a smile but it was there and it was proof. Monsters don’t smile. “They don’t cry either”

“Huh”

Little did they know, a third boy was looking pretty disgusted by the whole thing. “What are you doing? Are you trying to get killed?” Sai whipped his head and growled at the closest wall. “What do I care? I hate you anyway” That part caught Naruto’s attention. In reaction, he stood and marched straight over to the brat he just remembered had tackled him earlier.

“What the heck did I do to you, loony? And what’d you jump me for?” Idiot. Stupid. Stupid idiot. He didn’t eve care and he was acting like he never even knew.

“You ruined it”, Sai growled.

Naruto held his arms out wide in disbelief. “Ruined what you nutcase!” That jerk. He really thinks he can get away just by pretending it never happened. No way. Not gonna happen.

“My paint! You spilled it all over the floor chasing that ugly thing!” Now that got Naruto pumped up for another clobbering but he’d already had two fights in the space of few minutes and wasn’t about to get in trouble for a third, unless this brat gave him a good reason to.

“Then just get more, pig brains! Duh.”

“I can’t, cat face. Everyone else is too big and I can’t get to anything. But I finally did and you ruined it!” Sai’s throat tightened and his teeth gnashed. He never got angry. Never. But this…. Idiot. He won’t cry. Not in front of him. Not like that other kid over there. Boys shouldn’t cry. That woman keeps trying to get him to talk about his feelings and junk. Why can’t he just be left alone?

The familiar sound of steps echoed behind the pair of angry boys. They looked to see that red haired kid was gone. Barely a moment later and he was hopping back down again with something in his hand. For a moment, the fear was gone. Gaara was standing next to two other boys with a blank face and holding out a black pen to the one that called him a monster.

“It’s not paint but you can draw with it right?” A beam of sunlight peeked through the window, gently glowing over the crossing dirt paths.

Rrrrriiiiiiibbit

“Gamakichi! You’re alive!” A bouncing blonde turned bright with glee at that sound. He plucked a stunned toad from the floor and couldn’t wait to show them. While his back was turned, something amazing happened again. Sai, had begun to cry and Gaara, had given him a hug. “Hey, don’t leave me out!”

The path we are born on may be shrouded by trees with no light to show the way.

But don’t worry my special boy, the sun will hear you cry and will shine just for you.

He will bring you a new path of flowers and love.

But remember, me special boy, always thank the sun for each ray of shine and every cloud that makes you remember how much brighter he make your path.

I feel like I've kinda killed Sai's character a bit. I'm him show so much emotion (mostly anger ^^;) when i was trying to keep as close to the manga personalities as possible. But i guess with the surroundings and the story line, i've gotta add more to get more.

Oh, btw, I want to start a small project involving you guys who have been reviewing so nicely to me ^____^ Some of you may have seen the pics i've been working on to go with this. Well, i really want to make more but i don't have all the time I want to work on them. Soooooooooooooooo, i'm asking you guys to draw your fav scenes of what's happened so far and i'm gonna mix 'em into an amv with the song that inspired this story. If you want to take part, can you let me know? Thanks again and i'll do my best to update sooner. Bye