Kichimaru Tomaka, emotional ninja

Chapter 3

It's a few weeks later I first sense that bright and bountiful chakra as I jump lightly onto a dumpster before flipping onto the roof. The chakra signature is young and unrefined, but the amount alone is enough to have me on guard. As I touch down on the roof I focus on the signature and spot a flash of blonde hair hidden in an alley a few streets down. The muffled sobbing is quiet and matches the small boy hiding his face in his knees. I pause for a moment, but the heavy weight of the time sensitive scroll in my pouch makes my heart steel and legs go on. I look around and memorize the street he's on and the feel of his bright chakra, before enforcing chakra into my body to speed up. It's almost the end of my shift, I've been running around Konoha since 9 am rotating through the official buildings and delivering internal messages, and my last stop was the Genin Corp headquarters only a minute away. I would speed through the drop off and run back to the boy, my protective older brother instincts not allowing for anything less. I just needed to go faster.

My heart is beating like a jackhammer as I finally enter the headquarters, but I keep a fast pace as I weave through my coworkers to the drop off desk. Chigao-sempai recognizes me instantly, considering I've seen him almost everyday for the past few years, and holds his hold out for the scroll he knows I must have.

"Kichi-kun, earlier than I expected." He says warmly, a smile set on his mature face. I waggle my fingers in a playful wave as I pull out the scroll and hand it to him, even though I can feel my leg twitching in impatience.

"For you, Chigao-senpai!" I grin widely through my face mask before turning to leave. "No time to talk today, I'm in a rush, see you later!" If he is put off by my informality, he doesn't show it, only shaking his head with a chuckle.

As soon as I'm back outside I dart to the roofs and head back towards where I saw the boy. My face is full of worry as I push my chakra sense further out to make sure I don't miss him. I spent less than a minute in headquarters, but I already feel a twinge of regret for not stopping for the young blonde immediately. I shake off the doubt and remind myself of my duty to Konoha, but my pulse still quickens as I finally near the correct sector. The warm yellow signature is still hidden in the same alley I left it, and relief hits me hard in the gut as I begin to slow down from my mad dash.

I land at the entrance to the back alley in a smooth roll that continues until I'm on my feet again. The boy is hidden on the back wall, in between the large dumpster and the brick corner, with his face pressed against chest and arms wrapped around his knees. I make an effort to let my steps make noise, and when I'm halfway down the backstreet the boy he finally hears me approach. I see his arms tense as his head shoots up, blue eyes wide with fear and glistening with tears. My own eyes begin to burn with sympathy tears as I stop a few feet from him. I raise my hand in a nonthreatening manner and crouch down on my knees slowly as I speak in a soft tone.

"Hey Gaki-chan, I know I look kind weird but I promise I won't do anything to hurt you." I reach under my hood and unfasten my clip to allow the large hood shadowing my face to fall back before slicking my bangs back to reveal my large brown eyes. "See! Human, nothing spooky here!" My eyes crinkle into an obvious smile as I clip my hair back. The boy is still tense, but revealing my face puts most of his fear to rest. His eyes glance around the alley, confirming we are alone, before resting on the leaf insignia proudly displayed on my black bandana tied around my neck.

"...you're a shinobi?" His quiet voice barely makes it to my ears, but my pulse finally steadies as he replies. A quick glance over the boy reveals that he isn't physically hurt, so I slowly set my hands down on my knees, still sitting in a crouch.

"Yep!" I tilt my head as I crinkle my eyes and grin at him. "I'm Kichimaru, a shinobi of the Genin Corps. That means it's my job to help you, no matter what!" I keep my tone soft, but say the last part with conviction hoping he will trust me. My eyes are still glistening with unshed tears, but my core holds strong and I'm determined to help. This boy is small, clearly younger than even Hito-kun, and vaguely dirty in tattered clothing, but what stands out the most to me are his wide, vulnerable eyes. Trace amounts of fear still swim in his bright blue eyes as tears and his worry shines through. They're are easy to read and incapable of hiding his true feelings, and it's like looking into a mirror. Immediately I realize I don't want this boy to hide his emotions or be teased because of his expressiveness, but mostly I wanted be the support I wish I had in the shinobi world. At my declaration his eyes widen a bit, before shining with a small gleam of hope.

"Really?" His tone is disbelieving, which makes me worry. "Even me?" My brow creases, did someone refuse to help him?

"Of course, Gaki-chan!" I grin widely, even though it hardly shows through my mask, when he pouts, suddenly indignant.

"Oi! I'm Naruto Uzumaki! Not a brat!" I laugh at his proud declaration, happy that his caution has fled, and he points and pouts again at my laughter.

"Ah, sorry Naru-chan! You're just too cute! You remind me of my Otouto! ~" He seems taken aback when I pat his head and pinch his cheeks, as if he isn't used to the casual contact and affection. At that I assume he must be an orphan, unfortunately one of many after the Kyuubi attack. He looks at me in awe with red cheeks, before grinning widely. His face seems to radiate warmth when he smiles, eyes creased shut and teeth shining brightly, and I can tell he's already wiggled his way into my heart, not that it's hard for me to get attached to cute kids, the big softie I am. "What are you doing back here, are you lost?" He starts slightly when I change topic, but then averts his eyes to the ground in what seems like shame.

"No, shinobi-san..." He mumbles and rest his chin on his knees, trying to make himself smaller. I don't like seeing him try to hide himself from the world, and counter quickly.

"Shinobi-san?! None of that Naru-chan, call me Aniki!" I counter with an easy smile. After all, the protective feeling I'm getting is the same as with my little siblings. He looks back up at me with wide eyes, tears pooling again, but this time they're of joy with traces of hope.

"Really?" At my nod his smile returns. "Alright, Aniki!" He beams wildly and lunges into me, hugging tightly around my waist and knocking me off balance. I quickly steady myself and hug him back, one hand back to ruffling his soft blonde hair. Definitely an orphan, if this is his reaction to having an older brother. His tiny frame seems to tremble slightly, and I frown when I feel how thin he is. I don't know much about the orphanages around this sector, certainly not enough to know which he's from, but I'm fairly sure all wards are allowed outside until curfew. He's still out, and didn't seem like he was leaving anytime soon, so I assume he must have at least a few hours of freedom, enough time to get dinner at least. My siblings eat with Oba-chan and my parents work until nightfall, so I normally eat after my shift at street vendors alone. Including my new Otouto wouldn't be a problem at all.

"You hungry, Naru-chan?" He looks up at me curious, before his stomach grumbles loudly and he blushes lightly, making me grin. "I just finished work, so I'm so hungry I could eat a horse!" My loud declaration startles a giggle out of him, and he nods shyly in answer. "Let's get dinner, my treat?" He beams at me again before agreeing heartily, making my heart warm. Stopping for him was definitely the right decision.