I'm not A F R A I D (tag Hideki-kun)

[Uzumaki Naruto]

Is there any wonder why I'm scared?

Blue pools darted back and forth as his feet landed softly on each treebranch. The world passed him by in a blur, all of the colors of the forest blending together into one. The demon fox vessel grinned; the exilaration of running and jumping from tree to tree should be considered a sport.

If I was a little younger, would I care?

But Uzumaki Naruto knew better than that. The way of the ninja was difficult, the path long and harsh. You could die at any moment, so quickly your life could end...so easily you could make a mistake and extinguish the fire of your existance...His eyes narrowed softly as he continued to run. He ran for no reason, but only for more training. Training, training...that was the only thing he ever did anymore...even though Orochimaru has been slaughtered and everything was well, Naruto had a funny feeling, an instinct that the peace that occupied the land would soon come to an end...why he felt this way, he didn't know, but he knew better than to doubt his gut feelings.

I'm feelin' like the walls are growing stronger...

His blonde hair whipped from side to side, following the pattern of his headband tails as he lunged his body forward. His agile movements were easy to track, but he had his guard up still: his kunai was hidden up his sleeve, ready to fall out whenever he needed it. His eyes continuously scanned, his ears were open to any sounds...he was on full alert, only because he knew that while running, he could be vulnerable.

I don't think that this cage can hold me any longer...

His sensitive ears perked up slightly. He heard a small noise. He stopped abruptly in one of the trees and concealed himself in the branches. He peered out from between them and grinned. The sight he was met with was none other than Fujii Hideki, the one who idolized him so much. "Hideki-kun!" he called, cupping a hand around his mouth and grinned, waving his hand happily.

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[Fujii Hideki]

When will I finally find the strength to open up your letters?

Leaves rustled lightly underfoot as Hideki dragged his feet along the ground, arms swinging lazily at his sides. Stoic grey eyes watched the foliage-covered ground silently and the young boy came to a sudden halt. Something was definitely on his mind, nagging and pulling at the back of his being. He mentally and physically shook it off, dislodging a bit of carefully wrapped bandages from around his head. Hideki reached his hand up and held the spot, fingers lingering just above his covered scar.

I think I'll throw them all away, forget you altogether. . .

This exact place had suffered an attack from a vicious knife wielder. Luckily, the cut hadn't been deep or powerful enough to fracture the skull, but it had nicked it rather slightly from the way it felt. His fingers flinched suddenly and he brought them back down to his side, standing there almost lethargically. The bandage that had once been secure and tight around his healed wound now unraveled and fluttered quietly onto the floor, the dead leaves around it leaping into the air.

When will I find my way back home?

The small boy clung to a teddy bear almost as large as himself, gazing up at the taller figure hovering above him. Red shone brightly against the pitch black robes, shaped like crude clouds. It gestured something calmly, almost blank eyes staring down at the child. The dark-haired boy clutched his teddy bear tighter and looked confused before he shook his head once, fingers digging into velvety fabric. His grey eyes were watching the floor, tears almost brimming at the edges of them. The Akatsuki member watched him calmly for a moment longer before lifting an arm out of his cloak and pointing a kunai at the kid. His lips moved again as he said something once again, but Hideki replied again with a strong shake of his head.

Find my way on back home. . . My way back home. . .

The taller man lunged forward in anger, calm attitude now gone. The child's lips parted in a small shout and he quickly started running in the opposite direction, dropping his toy onto the ground. The man stepped on it during his chase and threw the kunai expertly, leaning it towards the right on purpose. Blood and hair spilled off to the side and Hideki fell to the ground, the sharp piece of metal skidding off to the side. He stayed conscious long enough to see the man walk off, but blacked out only a few quick heartbeats longer.

And now it's falling around you. . . Pick up the pieces. . .

Hideki bent down to pick up his bandage but twitched slightly as he heard his name, muffled slightly in the trees. He held the white bandage in his hands and started wrapping it back around his head while he searched for the source of the sound. It didn't take him too long at all as the waving ninja was pretty hard to miss, even if he was hiding in a tree. The dull, stoic expression on his face was replaced immediately with a shimmering cheerfulness. "Hey, Uzumaki-san!" the thirteen-year-old called back as he returned the frantic waves, beaming.

You know they won't fit. . .

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[Uzumaki Naruto]

You never dreamed you'd hafta live your life so guarded...

Naruto blinked slightly. Hideki had stopped suddenly, his hand twitching at his side. He looked lethargic, the sign of memories fluttering over his face. The bandage unraveled that covered his head, and the blonde blinked in surprise. A deep scar was concealed by the humorous looking bandage, covering up a serious mark with something comical. He swallowed. It reminded him of himself. He always tried to hide his emotions with humor. His own past was painful, as he could tell was Hideki's by the look on his face...

'Cause I'll find a way to make you feel discarded...

He sighed gently through his nose, deciding to sit on the branch. He swung his legs over the side in an agile move, letting them dangle over the makeshift chair, one hand resting next to him, the other leaning against the tree's powerful trunk. His eyes were dark as he watched Hideki continue to remember. He could easily see the tormented boy's emotions through his grey eyes. Naruto was always good at reading emotions...but when he was younger, he just never really cared at all...

I'm not afraid of tomorrow...

Hideki calmly picked up his bandage and, with a quick turn of his head, his stoic and nostalgic countenance was immediately replaced with a cheerful one. Naruto grinned and waved back at the young ninja. "What's up, Hideki-kun?" he called from the tree, now standing up, his hand still laying on the side of the tree as if in reverence, like how a man would put his hand on the shoulder of his wife in protectiveness and care. He squinted to try and see the boy, since he lost him when he stood.

I'm only scared of myself...

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[Fujii Hideki]

It’s easier to run . . .

"Nothing much, really," Hideki replied, trotting up below the tree, just a little in front of Naruto's branch, so that he wouldn't have to shout too much. The genin took in a pretty deep breath, face scrunched up in concentration and yet strangely relaxed at the same time, then took a great leap up into the air. By running his chakra down to his legs and focusing there, he was able to give his muscles a temporary boost. He hadn't exactly mastered this skill yet, but he had at least the basics and a bit more down.

Replacing this pain with something numb . . .

The adolescent had aimed to land right next to Naruto, but missed by a little. He had to lean his body quite a bit to the right in order not to come down on top of the ninja. Though he knew that Naruto had the experience to move out of the way or stop him without getting hurt, Hideki didn't really want to take the chance. He balanced precariously on the limb, arms flailing around wildly as he tried not to imagine what would happen if he really did fall from this height.

It’s so much easier to go . . .

He finally caught himself and sat down, not finding the urge to really stand up anymore. He sat in a position similar to the one Naruto had taken up before, legs dangling off the edge of the branch in a side-saddle and hands clutching at the wood on either side of his thighs. "Wahhh, that was close!" he complained jokingly, letting out a sigh of relief.

Than face all this pain here all alone . . .

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[Uzumaki Naruto]

Feels like my insides are on fire...

Naruto laughed good-naturedly when Hideki struggled to get onto the same branch as he did. He almost landed on top of the orange-clad ninja, but Naruto was ready for it and went to the side so that he could catch the thirteen year old if he needed to. He grinned. The kid had a very good handle on the movement of chakra to his feet, especially for just a barely-graduate. He definately had potential.

And I'm looking through the eyes of someone else...

He swallowed thickly suddenly, realizing how close he had gotten to the young ninja without too much time. The boy reminded Naruto so much of himself that he always was standing tall around him. He desperately wanted to be accepted by the young one, to keep Hideki's interest as his idol. He had never been idolized before; in fact, he usually was the example in his class of what not to do. Sasuke or Sakura would always take over and fix any problems he himself had created, which was a lot. He got on their nerves many, many times, but he always tried his best. He never intentionally wanted to fail. He wanted to succeed. He wanted to become Hokage. Everyone would look up to him. He would be the greatest ninja who ever lived...even better than Yodaime...he grinned to himself as he daydreamed.

Never thought they'd want me to go any faster...

He snapped his head to the side, laughing. "Wahhh, that was close!" the grey eyed ninja cried lightheartedly, resting finally at Naruto's side. Naruto grinned and gave kitsune eyes, cocking his head at the young one. "What brings you here, Hideki-kun?" he asked kindly, deciding to sit down next to him again. He wanted Hideki to feel equal around him. He was equal. He always would be.

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[Fujii Hideki]

Something has been taken from deep inside of me. . .

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"Nothing much, really," Hideki repeated his other statement, watching his feet as he kicked the air lazily. As a child, he used to sit on fences and see how far he could kick his shoe off. Now, the thirteen-year-old wondered if it would be a fun training activity to see how hard he could hit it at a tree. . . . It probably would be a nice thing to do, but he couldn't really try it in front of Naruto. It'd be pretty embarrassing to do such a mediocre thing in front of his role model.

A secret I've kept locked away, no one can ever see. . .[/b]

In the midst of his daydream, Hideki found himself thinking back again, to that one man who hurt a small, defenseless four-year-old. . . Often, his black robe seemed to come back to haunt him, the deep red blood on the floor seeping between the gaps between his fingers in nightmarish dreams, his favorite toy getting tainted by that deep black sandal. . .

Wounds so deep they never show, they never go away . . .

Somehow, he found himself palpitating and he'd drawn his knees up to his chest, even though that was a foolish thing to do when one was balanced precariously at the edge of a branch, and no where near the trunk at that. He squeezed his eyes shut, willing himself to banish the unwelcome thoughts. A single tear rolled down his flushed cheeks and he dug his head farther into his knees, wiping his face on the fabric of his pants. He felt embarrassed at his sudden mood swing. Why had he started to cry, just by thinking about events in the past? And in front of Uzumaki-san, too, he hiccuped to himself.

Like moving pictures in my head, for years and years they’ve played. . .[/i][/center][/size][/blockquote]

[Uzumaki Naruto]

So I've kept my foot on the gas...

Naruto grinned. "Nothing much, really..." he replied, repeating himself for his earlier statement. He blinked, watching him swing his feet. Naruto remembered when he himself used to do that on the swings in the neighborhood park. He remembered the lonely feeling he was always consumed with, especially when the other children he was friends with were taken home by their parents...he would never know what it was like...He blinked, the memories fading softly to black, only the memory of himself as a child standing lonely in the middle of a dark world remaining. The swings he would be on were always abandoned next to him...

Everybody likes to begin under pressure...

He blinked in surprise, being torn from his memories by the sound of a soft, barely audible sob. His ears were trained to hear any soft noises, no matter what they were, even if it was as odd as a small cry. He frowned in sudden concern, turning his eyes to Hideki. He was curled in a ball, trying to bite back tears that were rolling down his cheeks in spite of his efforts. Naruto felt a pang in his chest, his heart clenching when he saw the sheer sorrow etched on the boy's face. His dark hair shaded his head, so he couldn't see him very well, but he knew that the pain was real...

Just the pain that just won't last...

He was a little taken aback; he was startled and not quite sure of what to do. He frowned again and raised his hand tentatively, putting it on Hideki's back, his eyes downcast. He sighed, trying not to cry himself. The pain was radiating off of the boy, and he felt horrible.

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[Fujii Hideki]

If I could change, I would, take back the pain, I would. . .

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Hideki stiffened slightly as he felt Naruto's hand pat down softly onto his back. Then, he slowly relaxed, fingers lessening their grip on the branch they were seated on. His legs slipped away from their previous fetal position and hung over the edge of their seat, body leaning slightly forward from the change. Uzumaki-san's hand . . . is warm. . . he thought peacefully, downcast grey eyes slowly sliding closed.

Retrace every wrong move that I made, I would. . .[/i]

The adolescent heard Naruto's quiet sigh and opened his eyes, face covered slightly by his hair once again. He himself let out a small breath before straightening his posture and summoning the most cheerful attitude he could muster up at the moment. Hideki turned his head towards his idol, a beam shining clearly on his face, although it was shadowed by the blotchy flush on his cheeks. A tiny bead of salty water had formed at the edge of each closed eye, which, without the tear, was a rather happy face that only kids his age could pull off.

If I could stand up and take the blame, I would. . . [/i]

"Don't look so down 'cause of me, Uzumaki-san," he chirped, voice not betraying his previous emotions. It didn't waver in the slightest and it was as thin and airy as he could manage it. He opened his grey eyes, looking up at Naruto and quickly wiping off what was left of his tears with the end of his dirty sleeve.

I would take all my shame to the grave. . .[/i][/center][/size][/blockquote]

[Uzumaki Naruto]

You'd never dreamed you'd hafta live your life so guarded...

Sapphire orbs glittered softly, blinking a few times. He swallowed again and rubbed Hideki's back softly, trying to soothe him. It seemed to be working, as the young boy's fetal position began to unravel into a normal sitting position. He watched him suddenly cover up his emotions, and Naruto felt his heart clench. This boy was definately taking after him...but the world didn't need another Uzumaki Naruto...they needed a new Fujii Hideki...He looked away softly, sadly, wanting Hideki to trust him, to open up. He should know that he shouldn't feel embarassed in front of Naruto...why doesn't he understand...?

Cause I'll find a way to make you feel discarded...

His face was masked, and he could tell that the young grey eyed boy was trying to summon up all of the cheerfulness in himself that he could muster...He couldn't help but grin back. Deep down inside, he knew that the grin was genuine. Only a kid his age would be able to do something like that...it was courageous as much as it was cowardly...and pure...He cocked his head at Hideki, softly, letting him know it was all okay, that he had problems too, that he wasn't alone...

So change to become a complication...

"Don't look so down 'cause of me, Uzumaki-san," he chirped happily, his voice contradicting his face as he wiped a few tears away disdainfully. Naruto beamed. "You don't need to hide, Hideki-kun. You're allowed to feel..." he chirped back, his hand still on the boy's back. His chest suddenly felt warm as he thought to himself.

If this is what it was like...to have a son...

...he wouldn't have it any other way...

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[Fujii Hideki]

Sometimes I remember. . .

"You don't need to hide, Hideki-kun. You're allowed to feel." Hideki blinked in slight confusion and his face felt warm as tears started building up again. If he really thought about it, he was too old to cry, so why was he doing so so freely? It was shameful, for a thirteen-year-old to actually withdraw himself to weep out his own fears and past. But . . . here was Naruto actually giving him a chance, actually encouraging him to grieve.

The darkness of my past. . .

The dark-haired boy let out an open sob as he flung himself onto the older male, embracing him like a child would to their favorite teddy bear. He moved his head away so not to dirty Naruto's clothes but kept his grip on him, linking his fingers together to make sure he wouldn't accidentally let go. "I'm scared," he hiccuped softly, sniffling his nose.

Bringing back these memories. . .

"I'm really . . . I don't know. Just that man and that time, I think could be cursed, it only recently closed up, and dad seems really tense every time it comes up," he babbled in an almost confused manner. He really didn't know why he was so worked up about it now. It had happened literally years ago--nine, in counting. You'd think that a boy could let go of the past after that long, but Hideki had been reminded of it almost daily. His dad wanted to keep it secretive, so he had to wrap it up in a bandage every morning, train to fight and do ninja stuff without letting it unravel, make sure that no one saw the scar and act like it was nothing if someone did. . .

I wish I didn’t have. . .

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[Uzumaki Naruto]

Can't make it through another day's humiliation...!

Naruto blinked and gave out a slight "woah!" as Hideki lunged himself onto him, crying into his coat. He swallowed and blinked, his mouth opened slightly in surprise before he quickly enveloped the boy into a kind hug. The poor kid...what happened to him? That scar, it looked almost fresh, as if it had just happened a few months ago. But maybe the wound wasn't raw...they just seemed that way sometimes...

I'm not afraid of tomorrow...

"I'm scared," Hideki whispered weakly as he began. "I'm really . . . I don't know. Just that man and that time, I think could be cursed, it only recently closed up, and dad seems really tense every time it comes up..." Naruto blinked, his own eyes slightly misty. "What're you afraid of? Nobody's going to hurt you, Hideki-kun..." he murmured back in comfort, tightening his grip on the boy nonetheless. He didn't want the boy to be hurt, because now, Naruto firmly believed that protecting him was his sole job right now. He didn't want him to ever get hurt. He wouldn't let anything happen.

I'm only scared of myself...

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OOC;; sorry, low muse '

[Fujii Hideki]

Sometimes I think of letting go. . .

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"What're you afraid of? Nobody's going to hurt you, Hideki-kun..." Naruto's comforting words just encouraged his tears, though he wasn't even sure if they were happy or sad anymore. Naruto was . . . Naruto was being there for him, taking care of him in his time of need, soothing his tired thoughts. . . A frown formed slowly on Hideki's lips as he moved his hands up to the older boy's shoulders, fingers gripping the cloth covering them. He pushed himself away from the orange-clad ninja, head turned away in shame.

And never looking back. . .[/i]

"I should never be called a ninja," Hideki muttered under his breath, just loud enough for Naruto to hear. "All I do is cry and pretend to be one. I never even do anything other than chase cats around a-and water front lawns for old grandpas." He brought his sleeve up again to wipe at his eyes, getting up to his feet as he did so. "Excuse me," he muttered hoarsely under his breath before leaping down from his perch. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he started running deeper into the forest, in the opposite direction of the village.

And never moving forward so. . .[/i]

Tree branches whipped violently at his clothes, but he didn't care. All he really did was keep one hand up to his head to keep the violent wood from snatching his bandage and another to grab onto his kunai. He really shouldn't be a ninja. He bet Narto never cried in front of someone else for the stupidest reasons. He bet he never rejected himself for a stupider reason. Naruto wasn't so soft that he'd cry at the age of thirteen because of something that happened when he was four. Hideki gave a low, pissed-off growl and snarled as he ran at a tree, piercing it with his kunai as hard as he could. Half of it. Only half of the blade sunk in. Hideki gave an exasperated sigh and sunk down to the ground, stretching his legs out in front of him and leaning his head back against the tree. He looked up at the leaf-dappled sky and reached a hand up, searching for something invisible. . . Then he dropped it and closed his puffy eyes. Perhaps he could get some sleep.

There’d never be a past. . .[/i]

ooc; It happens to the best of us. ._." I have a low muse right now, too. . . Sorry for the crappiness. XD
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[Uzumaki Naruto]

Feels like my insides are on fire...

Naruto blinked in sudden surprise. "I should never be called a ninja," Hideki said sadly. All I do is cry and pretend to be one. I never even do anything other than chase cats around a-and water front lawns for old grandpas." This made Naruto smile softly. "Hideki-kun, we all had to start there...I don't know of any ninja who didn't do D ranked missions when he was just starting out. You can't save the world without a little practice," he said happily, trying to cheer him up. Evidently, it didn't work, and the boy excused himself and jumped from the tree, running. "Hideki!" the orange clad ninja barked, slinging himself up and following him from below by hopping from treebranch to treebranch. It made his mind wander to when the whole team was on the rescue mission for Sasuke...

And I'm lookin' through the eyes of someone else...

The boy was slumped down, a halfassed thrown kunai lodged in the middle of a tree. He blinked, his blue eyes searching the small child quietly. He felt his pain, he really did. He knew how it felt to be called a loser and to never do anything right...it felt like shit. He blinked softly at Hideki. "Hideki, you know you're not a bad ninja...You aren't. Really. You aren't as bad as I used to be, at least..." He sat down next to the grey eyed boy and crossed his arms over his legs in a small ball. He gave him a happy grin. "I would find some way all the time to mess up our missions. You may think I'm a perfect ninja, but I'm not. Just ask Sakura or Sasuke..." he mumbled, smirking.

This boy brought back so many memories...he smirked again to himself nostalgically.

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[Fujii Hideki]

And too bad Hideki didn't hear, he was asleep.

ooc; Freakin' sucky ending, but . . . . .. . . .. . .. . XDD I have two seconds left on the computer. Bye!

Note from admin: xD I'll wait for you to get a good post up xD

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