Sand Crossed (Naruto Fanfic)

Treading Along

 "I don't like this story." Shinki frowned, his legs crossed, and his mouth forming a pout. Shikadai rolled his eyes and looked away from his young cousin.

"Oh come on!" Sarada's tone of voice changed. "This story is finally getting to the romantic bits! What's wrong with you guys who think romance is gross."

"People are getting hurt."

Boruto pointed his finger at Shinki, a laugh coming out of his mouth. "What's up with that! You're a shinobi!"

Inojin spoke up. "I don't think that means he has to like people getting hurt."

"It's not that." Shinki continued to frown. "Why are people getting hurt?"

Ebizo took a deep breath. "So, to explain that part, this story takes place after a war ended. There are a lot of negative feelings going on regarding people from Konoha, but also the refugees that came from the farmlands in the Fire nation. To escalate things, your grandfather's older brother was during this war. Your grandmother's grandfather also doesn't know if her mother's from Konoha, if not actually his son's children. They simply showed up one day."

Shinki opened his mouth, but something made the boy stop. "This isn't a romance story. It's a badly written horror story. That makes no sense at all."

"Why do you have to be obsessed with horror?" Shikadai let out a groan. "All this creepy stuff your into, well, it's just creepy."

...

Rasa's right arm and shoulder throbbed, his eyes on the ANBU he used to work with, his throat tightening. The fourteen-year-old sat in the front room for the family home, waiting for the third Kazekage, and Lady Chiyo to come and speak with him. His eyes were on the ground, and Karura's grandfather sat nearby, glaring at him. Two ANBU waited with them as well.

Sasori peeked into the room, the child very silent in his actions. The mouth of the five-year-old opened and then closed. The auburn-haired child disappeared as quickly as he came, just as the teen with the same colored hair reached up to rub his arm. Karura had been sent home while the grandfather glared at Rasa. "The business between my granddaughter, and myself, that was none of your business."

The teen looked away, the feeling of the ANBU's eyes being on him aggravating him, the feeling of being judged eating away. "Mistakes. That's all my life is filled with. Things that should never happen." Lady Chiyo came into the room, and her eyes looked her son right in the eye. The third of course was absent like he seemed to always be unless the issue involved shinobi duties. "Hypocrite..."

"I'd appreciate it if you had better control over your son."

Rasa felt like vomiting, wondering if his mother would do something to him like she usually did. The idea of being placed into a paralytic state did not bring any ease and only made him more agitated. Lady Chiyo didn't look at him and simply got down to business. "What did my son do?"

"No questions about what he did to me, is there?"

"Your son punched me."

A silence fell over the room, and Rasa let his eyes drift down. Lady Chiyo cleared her throat. "Now why would you do that?"

The auburn-haired teen looked up to say something to defend himself but stopped short upon seeing the look in his mother's eye. The man, however, took advantage of the teen's silence. "See. He has nothing to say of himself. That attack of his was unprovoked."

"Unprovoked..." Rasa felt his facial features twist up. "What provoked you to call your own granddaughter a harlot?"

"That is none of your business young men."

The fourteen-year-old flinched, the thought of Lady Chiyo agreeing with the man driving through his mind. His mother spoke up, surprising him. "While I am not pleased with my son's actions, my husband and I did raise him to be a young gentleman. Calling a nine-year-old a harlot goes too far, don't you think?"

"I have no idea if that child is actually my granddaughter! Yet I'm expected to discipline her when..."

Lady Chiyo quickly interrupted him. "Discipline? What you did this morning was not discipline. I also know you don't treat any of your other grandchildren this way, nor did you ever do this kind of thing to your own children. The only reason you're doing this is because those children may have a mother from Konoha. You know full well your son gave his word that they're his."

"He may have given his word, but I don't trust the word of the woman who told them they are his."

"That doesn't matter."

"Shouldn't you have more concern over the disrespect she showed your son?"

"Ironic, considering the disrespect you've shown him, beating him like you did. You're very lucky we've not laid any charges."

The man narrowed his eyes. "Charges? Your son lay hands on me first."

"You called your granddaughter a harlot. You also hit her earlier. How was he to know you wouldn't hit her again." Lady Chiyo narrowed her eyes at the man. "Plus, you're not the only one who has a say in these children's wellbeing. I've been meaning to speak to you about this, without my son present, but I see no reason why I shouldn't say anything about this in front of you."

Rasa glanced up, watching the man's facial features tighten. "I don't see why this is any business of yours."

Lady Chiyo's face didn't change. "Outside of the fact your son is still alive, there is the fact your grandchildren are both the students of one of the legendary Sanin. Do you really want to cause political turmoil with Konoha to start up again? We've suffered enough as it is. You should consider yourself lucky to not have lost anyone during the war."

"I don't agree with you." The man narrowed his eyes. "Plus, how I discipline my granddaughter for her behavior at school is none of your business Lady Chiyo."

"Granny Chiyo?" A soft voice came from the doorway, and Rasa turned his head to look at his nine-year-old niece.

The old woman titled her head. "Not now, Manami."

"I couldn't help overhearing, though..."

"You can tell me later."

Rasa looked his niece in the eye, and for some reason, there was the look of betrayal. The teen cleared his voice, despite the fact he knew he might get worse punishment later on from his mother. "No. You should both hear what she has to say." The auburn-haired teen turned to look the man in the eye. "Not to mention your actions really do only help to escalate the problem."