Saving him (Naruto fan-fic)

Chapter 58- Zero and Ichiru's Past -Part 2-

I do not own Naruto

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3rd Person... A couple of years later...

Two children, now around the ages of nine walk side by side down the busy village. The giggling girl wore her medium length hair in a braid, her red eyes dancing with excitement. The boy beside her tried to smile, but once again failed, his black hair was freshly cut, keeping it out of his face. Even now, after living with the people that he's grown to love as a family, his eyes still held pain and sadness.

"Ichiru! Come on, we're going to be late for school!" Zero tugged at Ichiru's wrist.

"Sorry." Ichiru muttered, complying with the white haired girl and quickening his steps.

"And remember, Dad's going to be leaving tonight, but he promised to pick us up after school!" Zero grinned, "I hope he packed sushi for lunch."

Silence soon engulfed the two children as they walked. The passing by villagers would offer a smile to Zero before looking at her opposite, Ichiru, with wary glances. Despite Ren and Kiki adopting Ichiru legally, and swearing not to say anything about his past, it seemed that somehow the news about Ichiru being a 'Curse' had gotten out, making the villagers wary of the black haired child.

This, obviously, didn't help the boy come out of his 'shell' as Kiki called it. But, fortunately, with the help from Kiki, Ren, Zero, and on occasion Deidara, Ichiru had healed enough to be able to speak to them at least a lot more. They had even succeeded in stopping him from huddling in a corner with his knees to his chest, which had been a big habit when Ichiru first arrived.

Zero had abandoned her other friends when they didn't seem to enjoy, or rather like, Ichiru and said hurtful things about him. In all honesty, Zero put all her effort in protecting Ichiru. She even went as far as to get in a fight with some child who had called Ichiru a 'Curse', which was a word banished from their household. Ren and Kiki didn't get angry, not even when the parent of the beat up child came over and yelled at them.

Ren had only smirked, thinking how the child probably deserved it as Zero wasn't a violent person. Then he brought up to the woman's attention that their children were training to become ninjas, and this was something that the children could deal with themselves.

Zero broke the silence suddenly, "Just think, Ichiru! We'll be great ninja's soon!" Zero cheered, pausing when she saw some children ANBU mask. "I want to be an ANBU one day... Just like Mom, of course now she's just a Jounin, but still. Didn't you say you wanted to specialize in swords?"

Ichiru nodded slightly, "Yeah. Dad already started teaching me some moves."

"What? When is he doing that?" Zero demanded, her mouth dropping.

"When you and Mom are out doing 'girl things' or whatever you two do." He muttered.

Zero crossed her arms, "No fair. By your grades and skills, you'll be graduating by next year, and I'll have to wait another two to three years before I can graduate."

"Zero," Ichiru muttered again, ignoring Zero's complaining. "We should probably hurry, or we'll be late."

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