<\/b>\u201cAnd the next time I catch you down here, Little Fox<\/i>,\u201d Kakuzu hauled up Naruto, whispering meanly in his face, \u201cI won\u2019t be so nice.\u201d Then he dragged Naruto out and dumped him on the sidewalk. \u201cNow get outta here!\u201d His livid voice resonated in the street. \u201cAnd enjoy your new piece.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cafe goers and onlookers turned to the sound in unison and a police officer came running up before Kakuzu could duck back behind his gate. So he straightened and smoothed his coat front, an old kimono coat, pocketing the needle, and plastered on a bored smile.<\/p>\n
The officer ran over and hoisted up Naruto, inspecting the lines that were weeping blood down his cheeks. Shaking and choking back sobs, Naruto slowly stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s going on here,\u201d the young officer demanded.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust a simple transaction,\u201d Kakuzu said with a mean smile. \u201cThe whelp has been pestering me for quite a while. Dropping by unannounced and practically begging for me to carve out his little design.\u201d<\/p>\n
Naruto looked murderously at the old man. He tried not to cry because his tears were burning the gouges. But it didn\u2019t stop them from coming. The policeman eyed them both suspiciously, trying to determine if this story was true.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe even paid me for the work.\u201d Kakuzu pulled out the roll of money \u2014 Naruto\u2019s<\/i> roll of money \u2014 and showed it off.<\/p>\n
The officer frowned then. \u201cIs this true,\u201d he said sharply to the boy.<\/p>\n
Naruto\u2019s faculties had returned. He scanned his surroundings and his chest heaved with angry breaths. Deidara and Sasori had abandoned him. He was caught by their \u2018old friend.\u2019 Maybe the three of them were even in on it together. Was this why Deidara said he \u2018chose him\u2019\u2014<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course it\u2019s true! Why else would he be down here every evening if he didn\u2019t want some work done on him?\u201d Kakuzu grinned like a cat who\u2019d finally caught the mouse.<\/p>\n
And Naruto knew he was caught. He couldn\u2019t admit to a police officer that he\u2019d really been nicking things from the old man, even if it was only a prank. He\u2019d be thrown in jail, even for a couple of hours. And it would ruin his chances of getting into the academy\u2014<\/p>\n
Another thought crashed down him\u2014 The academy, the police force, his future<\/i>\u2026all of it\u2026. Gone.<\/p>\n
Kakuzu had sentenced him to something much worse. And he knew it. Naruto bit back a sob.<\/p>\n
The officer glared at Naruto, waiting for an answer. Finally, gritting his teeth, cheeks throbbing with pain, Naruto said, \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kakuzu\u2019s smile widened until it was all teeth. \u201cWanted to join a gang this one. Called himself the \u2018Little Fox.\u2019 So I just gave him some whiskers.\u201d<\/p>\n
The officer jerked Naruto hard by the shoulder, all previous concern gone, but his stern look was aimed at Kakuzu. \u201cOld man, if I catch you working on minors again, it\u2019s lights out for you. Got it? You know tattooing \u2014 even scarification like this \u2014 is illegal now in Konoha. I know you stick to \u2018the old ways\u2019 but times are different. Even if a kid like this does come to you,\u201d he fisted the sleeve of Naruto\u2019s shirt, \u201cyou still can\u2019t do it. Understand?\u201d<\/p>\n
Kakuzu put up his hands, taken aback. \u201cOf course! My mistake! Won\u2019t ever happen again!\u201d<\/p>\n
The officer grunted then wheeled Naruto around. The crowd of onlookers dispersed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere do you live kid? I need to speak to your parents.\u201d<\/p>\n
Naruto sniffed and cringed painfully. The movement stretched his shredded skin. He dabbed at his blood-wet cheeks, tears welling up at the pain. \u201cI-I live at the Konoha Home.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh\u2026.\u201d The officer was quiet for a moment. \u201cAnd how old are you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m 14,\u201d Naruto said, voice breaking.<\/p>\n
Then officer put everything together. \u201cYou think I don\u2019t know what you\u2019re doing? Associating with a guy like that? I grew up in a children\u2019s home too, you know.\u201d Naruto\u2019s shoulders slumped, and the officer jerked him along without sympathy. \u201cSo, I guess going to an academy wasn\u2019t good enough for you? Going to make your name on the streets instead?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, that\u2019s not\u2014 I never\u2014\u201c But it dissolved into a sob. Fresh tears burned his face.<\/p>\n
The officer sighed. \u201cWell, it doesn\u2019t matter now. It\u2019s your burden to bear, kid. And everybody\u2019s got one.\u201d<\/p>\n
Naruto turned and looked up at the man, unsure of his meaning. In the light of the dank stairwell up to the floor that housed the orphanage, Naruto saw a huge mark across the man\u2019s face. A scar right across his nose.<\/p>\n
The officer glanced sideways at him. \u201cYou looking at my scar? Yeah, well this came from fighting<\/i> those men you aspire to be like!\u201d The officer\u2019s anger reignited. He pointed at the kid\u2019s cheek. \u201cBut these things mark you for life. No one will even to hire you with that on your face! You know that?\u201d He shook his head. \u201cGeez kid, why\u2019d you go and get it there. Only the gangs will take you now\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
Naruto finally found his voice when they were at the landing. \u201cNo, no, I don\u2019t want to be in a gang! I want to go to the police academy and become\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n
The door swung open. But the round face of The Konoha Home\u2019s sweet house mother distorted into horror. She took an involuntary step back, clutching her chest at all the blood, before she realized who beneath it. \u201cNa-Naruto? Child, who did this to you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cO-Okasaan, I\u2019m so sorry\u2014 I didn\u2019t mean to\u2014\u201c Bloody tears fell off his chin in fat red droplets.<\/p>\n
\u201cOfficer Iruka Umino, ma\u2019am. Unfortunately, he did this himself. Or rather, he paid for it.\u201d Naruto hung his head and sobbed quietly, but he didn\u2019t deny it. \u201cApparently he had thoughts of joining one of the local gangs?\u201d The officer\u2019s tone had softened, as if he hoped he was wrong.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, he was going to go to academy,\u201d she said pulling Naruto over the threshold and peering at his cheeks. \u201cPolice track, if I remember\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n
Naruto nodded miserably. The officer cleared his throat. \u201cI don\u2019t see how that\u2019s possible now\u2014\u201c But he stopped himself. \u201cWell\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n
Naruto looked up desperately, scanning his face for any shred of hope. But Officer Umino had none to give. His eyes held something like pity.<\/p>\n
The house mother ushered them both inside and set to cleaning Naruto\u2019s wounds. The office spoke about Konoha and its history with gangs\u2026and, delicately, what the boy could expect to find\u2026.<\/p>\n
The house mother tried to stay positive, but it was harder and harder in the face of everything the officer was saying. \u201cWhat about his final exam? He was hoping to join the police\u2014?\u201d<\/p>\n
Officer Umino shook his head.<\/p>\n
The house mother placed her fingers to her mouth to stifle a sob. \u201cOh\u2026.\u201d Naruto went numb.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd the next time I catch you down here, Little Fox,\u201d Kakuzu hauled up Naruto, whispering meanly in his face, \u201cI won\u2019t be so nice.\u201d Then he dragged Naruto out and dumped him on the sidewalk. \u201cNow get outta here!\u201d His livid voice resonated in the street. \u201cAnd enjoy your new piece.\u201d Cafe goers and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2532","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-night-market","has-post-title","has-post-date","has-post-category","has-post-tag","has-post-comment","has-post-author"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5hctF-EQ","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swirlingpetals.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2532","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swirlingpetals.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swirlingpetals.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swirlingpetals.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swirlingpetals.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2532"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/swirlingpetals.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2532\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3144,"href":"https:\/\/swirlingpetals.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2532\/revisions\/3144"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swirlingpetals.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2532"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swirlingpetals.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2532"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swirlingpetals.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2532"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}