The Mother He Never Had

2

The days went by as I got older. I've been going to the academy so I could become a ninja and I still didn't have any friends. Nobody wanted to be my friend and I don't even know the reason. 

Everyday, I thought about Haru and when she would return. I wanted her to come back soon. It feels lonely and depressing without her. 

I walked around the village as I could feel everyone's glare. 'Haru would never glare at me the way they do. She's the only person who's nice to me. She's the only one who doesn't avoid me or glare at me.' I thought.

Why can't the village be just like her? I stopped walking when a mask caught my eye. It looks pretty cool. 

"This one, huh?! Here! Take it!" I was so busy staring at the mask, I didn't realize the man who owned the shop was yelling at me. I snapped out of it when he threw the mask at my head. "I'll give it to you, now get lost!" The man yelled. 

"Huh?" I asked. "Get outta here!" He shoved me back, making me land in the dirt. I sat up as the man frowned at me. "What's the matter with you all of a sudden?!" I yelled at him. "Why did you come here, you pest?!" He yelled back. 

"Why did I come here? I was just looking at that mask..." I mumbled the last part. I didn't do anything wrong. Why should I have to be treated this way? Why?

"Good grief. Is that any way to treat a child?"

I looked up and gasped as who was. "Miss Haru!"

She walked over to the mask that was thrown at me and picked it up. "I'm gone for a few years and I see that nothing has changed. Old people certainly have no patience these days." Haru said, frowning at the old man.

"What'd you just say?!" He yelled at her. "Tell me, old man. If this was your child, would you treat him or her the same way? No, you wouldn't. So, you shouldn't treat this boy any different." Haru said. Before the man could yell at her again, she threw some money at him. 

"There. You have your money. So, stop bitching, will you?" She said in a cold tone. The man flinched at the tone of her voice as Haru glared at him. She walked over to me and handed me the mask. "Here," I looked at the mask, then at her.

"You wanted it, right? Go on. You can have it." She said, smiling a closed-eye smile at me. I looked at her, then at the rest of the villagers as they frowned and glared at us. I didn't want to see their faces, so I ran off.

"Huh? Naruto, wait!" Haru called after me. But I didn't stop. I kept running until I reached the playground. I sat on one of the swing as I stared at the ground. "You run pretty fast for someone so small," 

I gasped and looked up, spotting Haru standing a couple feel away from me. She stood there with the descending sun behind her as her hands were behind her back.

"Then again, I shouldn't be surprised. Kids were always able to run faster than adults," She said, glancing at the sky like she was thinking. I didn't reply and went back to looking at the ground. "Mind if I sit by you?" Haru asked, in which I just shrugged my shoulders. 

She took that as a 'yes' and sat down beside me. "Do you come here often? How have you been?" Haru asked. Once again, I remained silent. I felt her look at me, then back at the sun as it was setting.

"Hmm... I remember when I was kid, I used to come to the playground all the time. Things change, don't they?" She said. "Miss Haru... Who are you?" I asked as I looked at the ground.

"I already told you, silly. It's Haru no Hana. But I told you, you can call 'Haru'. And you don't have to add 'Miss' to my name." She said with a giggle. "That's not what I meant!" I snapped. Haru looked at me and blinked her green eyes. I didn't say anything as everything was quiet.

Haru looked at a child who was walking home with their parent, then looked towards the orange sky. "Naruto... Who are you?" Haru asked. "You already know who I am." I stated. "I know that I know who you are. I wanna know if you know who you are." She replied. 

"I know who you I am."

"Then, tell me."

"My name's Naruto Uzumaki." 

"And what is your goal?"

I looked at her, then at a leaf that gently fluttered through the air. "My goal... is to become Hokage." I said. "Then, keep chasing after that dream until you've achieve it. I believe... I know you that will become Hokage." Haru said as she looked at me with a smile.

"Haru... Why are you so different?" I asked. "What do you mean?" She asked, returning the question.

"Why do you smile at me? Why do you come near me? Why don't you avoid me? You're nothing like the villagers. You don't frown at me, yell at me, or throw things at me. So... why? What is it about that doesn't make you run away?" I asked as I stared at the ground.

"I thought the answer would be obvious by now," Haru stood up from the swing and stood in front me  before crouching down to get a view of my face. "I come near you because I like you. You're special, energetic, funny, and a loving boy to be around." She stated with a smile.

"That's not what the villagers or the kids at the academy think. Nobody wants to be my friend. I'm all alone... and I hate it. It hurts all the time." I explained. My eyes softened as I felt tears forming at the brim of my eyes.

"Come on now. No tears," Haru said as she gently wiped my eyes. "I don't care what the villagers or those kids think of you. I believe you're special, Naruto Uzumaki, and that's all that matters." 

Tears began to fill the brim again until they fell down my cheeks. This is the first time anyone has said anything like that to me. "I'm... special?" I repeated. "Of course you are," She said, rising to her feet.

"And if anyone tells you otherwise, then they're idiots. Someone as special as you should have tons of friends... Or maybe one is plenty." 

I hugged Haru's waist, nearly knocking her off her feet. "Naruto?" She asked in confusion. I didn't reply as I began to cry into her dress. 

Haru's POV

I blinked in surprise when Naruto started to cry, then closed my eyes with a soft smile as I placed one hand over his head and another around his shoulders. "Come on. I said, no tears." I reminded him, but he continued to cry and I let him.

Naruto cried until the sun was gone, making it completely dark out as the street lamps began to turn on. "It's getting late. Let's take you home," I said. Naruto pulled away and sniffed as he wiped his eyes. I smiled softy at him and petted his head. 

"Come, I'll walk you home. I don't feel comfortable letting you go home by yourself." I said, extending my hand to him. Naruto gently took it and I walked him home.