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I don't own Naruto, his sexy pals, or the universe in which he lives. If I did, there would be a pantsless tuesday, sundays on sunday, and trunk monkies for all.
Thanks again for your dedicated reading, I wouldn't keep posting if you didn't make me feel so loved. ^^
Special thanks to Ruka, who is constantly showing me love via reveiws (and also writes, so you should probably read her stuff...) and to my almost-little-sis, Hanabi-chan that constantly shocks and delights me. Some times in ways that make me want to hit her. hard. in the head. But I can't because she's too damn cute. and Tiny. But sometimes I do anyway.
Hey, I never said I was a good person, did I? -_^


Generation
“Give it baaaack!” Aiko sobbed as she dangled the toy over his head from the highest point of the jungle gym. It was his favorite dinosaur and she had no right, but he wasn’t old enough to climb on the jungle gym, every one said so. He’d fall and break his neck they said. “If you want it come and get it. And stop crying. Ninjas don’t cry.” “I…I’m not a ninja! Give it!” She scoffed at him, dark eyes narrowing as she brushed a stray hair out of her face to join the rest of its brown-black brethren. “You’re still a boy, boys aren’t supposed to cry either.” Aiko wiped a hand under his nose, smearing his sleeve with snot as he snuffled. “Give it back,” he repeated pitifully, tears slowly stopping. “Come on then,” it was firmer when she said it this time, more motivating. Aiko nodded and put one hand on the bottom rung. He hesitated, and then his will steeled. It was his and he would get it back. He put one hand in front of the other, one foot, then the next, climbing furiously towards Mikoto. He would prove his worth. She rewarded him with a thin, heartfelt smile as he reached her, shaking. She tucked the dinosaur under her arm and climbed further, up onto the platforms, “Come on.” Aiko was not prepared for the sight that greeted him when he peeked over that first edge. “Whoa.” He stared in awe at the huge collection of dinosaurs. There were stegosauruses, there were raptors, there were brontosauruses and iguanodons, there were stuffed dinos and plastic dinos, and dino skeletons. She handed his stuffed t-rex back to him as he sat down next to her. “Where did you get all these…?” he asked as he surveyed the bounty. Mikoto looked at him and replied honestly, “They wouldn’t climb up.”

*

Aiko grunted as another kick found its mark. “Fox spawn.” One child snarled, the one with the tawny hair and broken front tooth, his gang immediately picked up the chant. “Fox spawn! Fox spawn!” They chanted in time to the kicking as he just lay there and took it. He had long since grown tiered of fighting back; when he did they only beat him up worse. If he took it they would tire of him quicker and he could stumble home with a few bruises rather than lay in the street, broken, like the first time. He knew they were just normal kids; he could beat them easily if he tried, but he had done that once too. The faces of the children he had sent to the hospital would haunt him forever. “Shit! It’s her!” The others shrieked in response as Mikoto made quick work of the stragglers while the leader and several others beat a quick retreat. The tawny haired boy paused to yell back, “Your little Uchiha bitch girlfriend can’t always save you, fox spawn, some day I’ll…augh!” Mikoto slammed him face first into the fence and left him to writhe in the street as she hunted down his gang.
Aiko wiped at the blood trailing from a cut on his cheek. Damn. It was getting worse. He would never graduate ninja tech if he kept letting them get the better of him. There had to be a safe zone between mutilating the competition and getting mutilated. He tried to stand up and stopped as a sharp pain tore through his side. His breath hissed through his teeth as he clasped his broken ribs. Then her hand was on his, lifting him. She had to stoop to put herself under his arm. She was taller than him, even though she was younger. He couldn’t look her in the eye as she started to walk with him. She never felt bad about hurting them. Didn’t she feel bad? They were just kids…not like him and Mikoto. “You can’t let them do this to you, Hyuuga.” She mumbled as she half guided half drug him towards his house. “They’re just civilians, Miko-chan, we’re supposed to protect them.” She twitched at his use of her childhood nickname but continued, “You still need to stand up for yourself,” she paused to kick the ringleader who was still mumbling insulting remarks about their heritage under his breath, something about a hamster, and elderberries, “I can’t always be there for you.” She sounded sad then, almost like she wanted to, but Aiko knew better. She only hung around a looser like him because no one else would. She felt sorry for him. “I can’t fight back. They would get hurt. Bad.” She looked at him slantways, “Have you tried blocking?” Aiko faltered. If not for Mikoto’s quick reflexes he would’ve slipped out of her grip. Blocking? Now why the hell hadn’t he thought of that? She pulled him upright. “Come on, it’s getting late.” Aiko nodded and plodded on.
“Oh!” Hinata looked up from her brewing as the two stumbled into the kitchen. Mikoto deposited the boy in a chair and leaned against the doorjamb. “Again Aiko?” He blushed and nodded looking away. “Did I hear the door open?” Naruto called from upstairs rounding the corner, “Oh, Hi Mikoto-Chan, how are your parents?” Mikoto shrugged noncommittally. Naruto laughed, “Just like Sasuke! Where’s Aiko then?” Mikoto nodded her head through the doorway she was leaning against, surveying the action in the kitchen. Hinata was fussing over her son, smearing some sort of herbal concoction over his wounds. Her hand brushed over his ribs and he gasped in pain. “What here too? Take your shirt off.” Aiko blushed deep red “MOM!” his eyes darted to Mikoto standing in the doorway. She had a smug half smile on her face. “Aiko,” Hinata adopted her no-nonsense tone that she often used on Naruto. Aiko sighed and shed the garment, blushing furiously and refusing to look at Mikoto, who not surprisingly, did not have the same problem. Hinata was rubbing salve on Aiko’s ribs as Naruto peered into the Kitchen, “Again?” he whispered, brokenly. How well he remembered when it had been him, only no one had done this for him, he had been alone. Aiko nodded and let his head droop, “I’m sorry.” Naruto stepped into the kitchen and placed a hand on his son’s head. “Don’t be, what could you have done?” Aiko’s response was flawless, “Blocked.” Naruto’s eyes widened. “Oh. I never thought of that…”

*

“I hear you got in a fight again.” Aiko faltered slightly and barely dodged the strike that Neji had aimed at him, spinning on his heel and throwing a palm at his uncle’s ribcage through the offered opening. Neji dodged easily. “Yes sir.” Aiko countered the next couple of strikes and threw more of his own, only one of which landed. Neji spun away and fell into a classic pose that looked like he was bowing for a formal dance. Aiko copied him. He knew that pose; it was the stance for Neji’s sixty-four hits. Neji struck lightning fast. Aiko matched him hit for hit. The veteran ninja jumped back as Aiko tried for one more strike at the end, throwing the trainee off balance. Aiko fell into a fighting stance before he realized it. Neji smiled as he stood back, arms crossed over his chest. “Good, very good.” Aiko watched a bead of sweat trail down his uncle’s face. It was only then that he felt the dew of sweat on his brow, noticed that his breath was tearing from him in raspy gasps, that his knees were shaking, he was shaking all over. Neji’s smile widened, “Are you done for?” he mocked. Aiko narrowed his eyes and steeled himself, firming his stance in the training ground sand. “Good. Use your byukagan.” Aiko nodded once, sharply, and ran through the seals, “Byukagan!” his vision shifted to shapes and lines in pale blues and silvers. “I want to teach you something.” The Neji-shaped chakra system fell into a fighting stance, “If you can perfect it no one can touch you ever again.” Aiko nodded again, “What’s it called?” Neji smiled widely, though Aiko could barely tell, “It’s called the Kaiten. Now hit me, if you can.”

*

“Bye, Sakura Sensei” Aiko mumbled as he passed the teacher of the younger classes. “Bye, Aiko kun, Tell your parents I said Hello.” Aiko nodded and plodded on. It was Friday. They always came for him on Fridays. He tried to take a back way home, but it never worked. The tawny haired boy blocked his path. “Where ya gooin’ fox spawn?” He sneered. “Home…” Aiko answered timidly, would it work? What if it didn’t work? The other boy snorted, “Not yet ya aren’t.” His gang gathered around him, circling behind Aiko. Aiko dropped his bag and raised his eyes to meet the older boy’s. “I’m going home.” His voice was stronger. A punch aimed at his head blew by as Aiko ducked to the side. He spun on his heel to face the boy and glared at him. “Get him!” the leader yelled. Not yet, Aiko, not yet. Then they were all around him, four drawn back to punch, three more ready to kick, and a dozen or so not quite at him. He ducked a few blows, blocking a kick, and then he focused himself. Blue chakra started to swirl around him and the world tilted. He raised his arms and spun, pulling the lines of chakra with him. He snarled “KAITEN!” when he finally slowed the boys had been scattered by force. One by one they moaned and stood up. He glared at them as they stumbled off. The leader stood and staggered. “I’ll get you next time you…” Mikoto slammed him face first into the wall. Aiko smiled shyly at her. “Hi Miko-chan.” He mumbled as he picked up his bag. He hurried to the end of the street where she was waiting for him. Mikoto let the corner of her mouth quirk up. “Good work, Hyuuga.” Aiko blushed and looked down, voice barely a whisper, “Thanks.”