Chapter Three
When he awoke the only things he could think of was the horrible nightmare he had just had, and that he had no idea where he was. The room was filled with light from the window above the bed.
He was not used to waking up in a house. It happened from time to time, someone would come along and find him and bring him to their homes for the night. At first he used to panic and run away before whoever it was could realise he was gone. But after a while the boy began to stay. He was usually taken in by families and older couples. They treated him well. They fed him and let him bathe. Sometimes they would even give him some new clothes when his old ones became too tattered. But they never talked much, and he never stayed too long. Even as a child, he could feel the uneasiness, the suspicion. It was natural. Everyone felt the same. So he soon learned to not overstay his welcome.
“How are you feeling?” A woman dressed in white was looking at him. The boy sat up and nodded. As he looked around the room he noticed all sorts of strange boxes and machines. The nurse could see that this boy was confused.
“Don’t worry, you’re in a hospital. You were brought here by one of our village’s ninjas. This is the Hidden Village of Sand.” She smiled warmly at the boy.
The boy looked blankly at the nurse. “My village…?”
The nurse closed her eyes and let her shoulders drop only slightly. She was hoping the boy wouldn’t ask this question so soon.
“Your village was ambushed by ninjas from the Hidden Rock. I’m afraid everyone was killed…everyone, except you.” The nurse spun around to see where the voice had come from. Kankuro stood in the doorway with a stern look on his face. He walked over to the boy and kneeled down closer. “I’m sorry.”
Kankuro waited for the boy to cry. It was only to be expected. He had lost everything. Kankuro was worried when after two minutes of silent waiting the boy looked up at him with dry eyes.
Kankuro and the nurse both frowned. “Do you understand what we’re telling you? Your family, along with everyone else in your village…they’re dead.” The nursed asked gently.
The boy maintained his blank expression ask he spoke. His voice was soft, he fumbled his words, trying to think of the right way to ask, the right word to say. He wasn’t used to talking. “I…I don’t have any family.”
Both Kankuro and the nurse were taken back a step. Kankuro was the first to speak.
“You’re an orphan?”
The boy nodded.
“I see. What’s your name kid?”
The boy smiled. “Oyanashigo.”
Kankuro smiled weakly back at the boy. He didn’t even have a real name. Turning to the nurse Kankuro smiled. “Thanks for looking after him. I’ll take him from here.”
The nurse looked puzzled. “What are you going to do with him?”
Kankuro grinned widely, first at the boy, then at the nurse. “We’re gonna be room-mates.”
The nurse frowned again. “But Kankuro-sama…don’t you…hate children?”
The nurse swore Kankuro’s grin started to become more forced.
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Chapter end notes: Oyanashigo: orphan