In Your Eyes (NarutoxReader)

1. whelve

(v.) to bury something deep, to hide.
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Mornings were hard. The early symphony of singing birds was a sound you began to loathe as it served as your alarm over the years. You'd tried to enjoy the melody at some point, but the rude interruption to your sleep made it impossible.

This time was no different.

You ignored the cheerful birds as you got out of bed and squinted once you opened the blinds to let sunlight peek in.

You were fortunate enough to live in a nice neighborhood, your house being larger than average. Your dad was to thank for this. He never truly explained what he did for a living, but you didn't mind not knowing. Truthfully, you would've preferred to be spared the details if it had saved you the trauma of finding out.

One day, he hadn't come home. This wasn't unusual, he'd often go missing for days at a time and return with no explanation. However, a day turned into two and suddenly three weeks had passed without any indication of where he'd gone. It wasn't until you received a letter detailing his crimes that you discovered he'd been sent to prison.

You frowned at the memory. It was difficult to remember your dad with any fondness after what happened with your mom.

You headed to your kitchen grabbing leftovers and heating them up for breakfast. It was shameful how little you cooked, your mom had been working on teaching you for a time. It had been enjoyable then to mix ingredients for hours hoping for the best outcome and having your dad as the ultimate judge. Other times you'd cook for your entire neighborhood under your mom's instructions. Now, she'd definitely be disappointed to know you couldn't bring yourself to boil your own pasta. The only habit that seemed to stay was tidying up after every meal.

You sighed at the loneliness of your home, if you could even call it that. There were no family pictures decorating the walls and no evidence that anyone lived there other than your shoes sitting by the front door.

Things hadn't always been this way. Your mother had made this place a home. And it was your dad's fault she was missing.

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It was snowing when you arrived at the market and despite how early it was, the streets were already filled with travelers restocking to continue their journey towards or away from the Hidden Stone. The growing commotion got annoying over the years, but you learnt to deal with it.

You stopped in front of a small cafe with a sign that read "Kobayashi's Cafe". The smell of coffee instantly greeted you when you came in.

"Hello sweetheart." Said an old lady who had warm smile painted on her face. Her welcoming words melted your heart. You only ever exchanged brief greetings with her, but felt you'd formed a bond with her from the amount of times you visited her store. Lately, you've started to feel guilty for never asking for her name.

"Good morning." You offered a kind smile as you sat down at a table in the corner.

The owner didn't go up to you, she knew you liked staying by yourself.

However, it had only been a few minutes before someone called your name and got your attention.

You looked at the man skeptically. People knew you in town; your parents had been well-liked. You didn't socialize much after they were gone though, so being approached in public was strange.

"Can I help you?" You asked as politely as you could.

"Don't tell me you don't recognize me?" You took this as an invitation to examine the man closely. There was nothing remarkable about him: dark eyes, dark hair, and a wide nose. What prompted recognition was the scar stretching from his right ear down to his chin. You knew that scar.

"Daisuke."

"Correct" He smiled. You hadn't seen him since your father's arrest. Under different circumstances you would have probably hugged him, but now you knew who he truly was. Noticing your lack of enthusiasm, he sighed.

"I don't want you to hate me. Your father doesn't either... what happened was inevitable."

"Tell me what you want and leave." You felt like crying. Daisuke had been your father's work friend and was often invited to your home for dinner and holidays. This was the first time you'd seen him as he was. Not your friend but a murderer.

Daisuke hesitated before continuing, clearly upset with your response.

"Your dad was a very valuable man to our organization. His Kekkei Genkai was perfect for the protection of our identity."

"Daisuke, I don't understand the purpose of this interaction." You narrowed your eyes at him. Details of how good of a criminal your dad was were unnecessary.

"Your dad was the last pure blood of his clan, you are the next best thing." You didn't know what he was getting at but his silence made you realize his intentions.

"You want me to take my father's place?" You could almost laugh.

"It would be a one time assignment. We cannot complete this without your Kekkei Genkai." Daisuke

"And what makes you think I'd agree to help you?"

"I know you've been struggling financially and stopped socializing upon your father's arrest." He stated bluntly. You tensed, how did he even know that?

"So what?"

"I can offer you a way out." He explained "All I need is your cooperation."

You stood and began gathering your belongings. "I refuse to help you and anyone who had anything to do with my dad."

Daisuke grabbed your arm and pulled you back to your seat.

"I'm afraid you have no choice."