CHAPTER 9: Celebrations

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It was late and the sun had already set over the horizon by the time Naruto had made it home from his shopping trip with his teammates. The two had dragged him everywhere, tasking the information naruto had given them about the two kids to choose out the best gifts. The three had decided on more practical gifts that would serve in day to day life rather than toys and eventually they came across two decently sized fluffy blankets. Naruto recalled the way they slept and had decided that these were the perfect gift for the two kids. Sasuke had then mentioned getting the two a few sets of clothes and Naruto picked out some clothes for himself, to which the blonde had agreed.

Kakshi had left behind a bit of paper with the details for the examination that the three read together. The note said seven in the morning but Naruto and Sasuke knew the jounin and told Sakura to get there for about nine instead, also advising her to eat a light meal before the three broke off in different directions, all heading home.

Naruto was greeted by Kushina as he entered the place he had stayed ever since he could remember, although if those dreams truly were memories, then he supposed that that would be false. The red haired woman offered him dinner, saying she could warm up the meal for him but he declined, telling her he had already eaten with his team. He stood still, nervously fiddling with his hands as Kushina congratulated him on passing the graduation exam, her tone was warm and welcoming which Naruto liked yet it stil felt a little wrong.

"We can do anything you want tonight, as a celebration!" she had exclaimed.

"I was actually hoping to go and see my friend, it's their younger sibling's birthday today and they offered to let me go and celebrate it with them," he revealed, gesturing to the bag of items he held.

"Oh, I wasn't aware that it was anyone's birthday," she looked taken aback at first before racking her brain, trying to figure out which one of her friends had a child whose birthday was that day. Naruto grimaced slightly, as if reading her mind he answered.

"You, don't know them. They're not from around here," he didn't feel that telling her they were from the Red Light District was a good idea. After all, it was her who had initially warned him of the place and told him to stay away. Kushina was terrifying when she was angry and Naruto didn't want to be on the receiving end of her wrath filled rants.

"Well, I suppose I could go and meet their parents," she smiled at him and began to reach for her coat which hung on the rack by the front door and Naruto panicked.

"Its fine!" he blurted out, a little louder then he intended, "I'm a genin now, I don't need you to take me to places. I'm not a kid anymore." he trailed off and flinched as Kushina turned to face him. The ground was suddenly very interesting.

"I get it, you're a young man now. I won't stop you," Naruto looked up at her in surprise, feeling bad that he had doubted her character. He had to remind himself that Kushina was a good person, she was caring and understanding. She was much different to Minato who believed that everything had to be done together in order for them to be a 'good family' and that there were meant to be no secrets between them. It was as if the concept of privacy and personal space did not click in his mind. "But, I don't want you in danger so let's make a compromise," Kushina grinned at him, "what are they like?" Naruto smiled at her and they both took a seat on the living room couch.

"Well, he is, um." Naruto's tongue felt too big for his mouth and he imagined Hiiro in his mind, "He has beautiful eyes." Naruto slapped himself internally. Was that seriously the first thing he thought about? 'Pull it together idiot!' "and under the right light they give of this red glow," No you idiot- "his skin is warm and he has a kind but playful personality," the tips of Naruto's ears went red as he listened to himself. Kushina looked surprised for a moment before giving him a knowing look and gesturing for him to continue. "He is selfless, putting his two-" Naruto paused for a moment, thinking of the right term for the two eight year old's, "-younger siblings, before himself and he is nice to me." Naruto tried to stop himself but the words just kept coming. "I haven't known him for long but he makes me happy, time seems to fly by when I'm with him and I want to spend more time with him," Naruto finished and Kushina giggled at his red face.

"Well, that's quite the description, Naruto," she said, teasing the poor boy, "He sounds wonderful and I hope I get to meet him someday. I won't hold you back any longer, go have some fun but don't stay out too late." With that she rubbed Naruto's head affectionately and gave him a pat on the shoulder and got up before making her way to the kitchen. "Oh, and take these desserts for him and his siblings," she held out a plastic bag with wrapped desserts out to the blonde who gratefully took them.

"Thanks-" he paused as he stood by the open door, "Mother." and with that he left for the home of his three new friends, missing the teary eyed Kushina's warm smile.

The trip to the Red Light District was short, the streets were starting to empty as people began to settle in their homes for the night and he took to the roof to avoid the few villagers that strolled about. Within minutes he stood on the roof of the trio's old house, steeling himself and calming his excited nerves before hopping down, landing softly by the somewhat hidden door, the desserts and gifts he brought still clutched tightly in his hand.

"Glad you could make it, Ruto," Naruto jumped as the voice rang out from behind him, startling the blonde before said blonde turned around and gave the other a matching grin. Hiiro pushed the boy into the house, shutting the door behind him and calling out for the two kids while rolling his shoulders and groaning.

"Rough day?" Hiiro nodded in response, "I did a lot of manual work today, it pays better but is a hell of a lot harder." Naruto hummed and held out the packaged desserts towards the boy.

"This might make you feel better," Hiiro glanced at the package in Naruto's hands with curiosity brimming in his warm brown eyes.

"Drugs?" he questioned, not really knowing what else came in white packaging.

"No, Stupid," Naruto half scolded as the two sat almost the piles of blankets like the previous day. He took the sweets out and placed an unwrapped sweet rice ball in Hiiro's hand, the boy giving it a suspicious stare before biting into it, the sweet rice and mango stuffing practically melting in his mouth as his eyes went wide.

"Holy shit this is good," Naruto barely heard him as the other stuffed the rest of the sweet down his throat like a starved animal. The two other kids took this moment to run into the room.

"Ruto-nii!" the two jumped on him, forcing him into a tight hug, the blonde barely even able to sit straight up.

"Don't be so rough, you two, Ruto got ya' guys some presents," Naruto held out a separate bad at Hiiro's words.

"Happy Birthday!" he cheerfully exclaimed. The two teared up slightly before grinning at the two older boys and furiously thanking the blonde who merely smiled and handed out the items. He didn't know much about the two but their hours-long conversation the previous night and his and Hiiro's delivery adventure today gave him enough to pick out a few things, plus. Money was absolutely no problem for the blonde. He had much saved up that he never used for anything. Years of birthday, holiday and pocket money that he had kept in his account had done nothing but pile up slowly and by the time he was ready to move out of home, Naruto suspected that he would have amassed a small fortune.

The two were given a few sets of clothing each, ranging from different seasonal wear and different sizes so that it would accommodate any growth spurts the two had, along with two new fluffy blankets, big enough to fit both of them in one. The trio gapped at the quality of the items then at the blonde who just smiled at them.

"Are you sure we can take this?" Hiiro questioned him, no playfulness found in his tone as he stared at the blonde, "do you not want something in return?" Naruto looked at them confused.

"Of course not, they are your guys presents, I didn't give them to you expecting something in return," Hiiro still felt indebted to the blonde as the two younger kids excitedly folded out the two big fluffy blankets and rolled around in them, their sore muscles relaxing on the touch of the soft fabric. Naruto rested his hand on Hiiro's shoulder as the two watched the kids fall asleep on the new covers. "Hiiro, I don't want anything in return, I swear," Naruto looked at the boy by his side in concern. It was obvious to him that the other had never had people do things for him and had always depended on himself. "I know we haven't known each other for long but you guys are my friends and I want to help you," Hiiro looked disbelievingly at the blonde, "Trust me, I want to help you." Hiiro let out a dry chuckle and shifted, settling himself to hug the blonde, pulling the other close and burying his head into the fabric of Naruto's shirt as he wrapped his arms around the other tightly. Naruto's face turned red and he stiffened before returning the hug, the beat red colour of his face not fading.

"Last time I trusted someone, I ended up almost being sold into a human trafficking ring," Naruto felt ta little sick at the other's words, "don't make me regret trusting you.'' The tension in Hiiro's body released and he all but collapsed into the blonde, pushing them both onto the pile of blankets that belonged to Hiiro. Naruto felt awkward, unsure of where to put his hands before he felt Hiiro's body shake and soft sobs escape the boy. He rested his arms around the crying boy, pulling him closer before covering them both with a stray blanket.

"It's okay, I'm here," Hiiro's cries grew louder yet he muffled them into Naruto's chest so as to not wake up the two kids.

"It was horrible-they, they made me-" Naruto felt tears in his own eyes as Hiiro opened up to him, telling him everything that had been weighing on his shoulders, retelling his trauma and childhood the blonde. Naruto didn't interrupt, he only held the other closer and cried with him. Naruto wasn't sure what time it was when Hiiro began to clan down, still refusing to let the blonde go, and the two sat in a comfortable silence.

"I have these dreams," Naruto began softly, deciding that since Hiiro had opened up and decided to trust him that he would do the same. He recounted everything to the other who did what Naruto had done for him and remained silent, just listening to the other as the blonde spilled out all his feelings.

Something had changed then, a weight had been lifted off both boy's shoulders as they opened their hearts to someone and let them in for the first time. Throwing all their eggs into one basket, all their trust into one person, hoping that they had done the right thing. Naruto knew he wasn't going to go home that night, he just felt like doing nothing but staying by his new friend's side, and he planned on doing just that. He would apologise to Kushina later and try to explain some things but for now he was just content to lay there, in a dingy and decrepit old house with the three kids from the Red Light District. To sleep on an uneven pile of old blankets with Hiiro rather than the expensive and soft bed back at home. Despite the differences they all had and the much worse living condition, Naruto felt at home. He felt safe.