Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Asylum ❯ ARC3: Day20 ( Chapter 9 )

ARC 3: Day 20

 

 

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and Characters.

 

Note: Because of beta-er problems, there will be no more spell-checked chapters from now. My excuse for this: reporting typo's is appreciated.

 

 

The past days my behavior had taken a drastic change.

 

I never apologized to Naruto for pulling such a stunt, but apparently, it wasn't needed anyway. Naruto just walked up to me in Art Class at some random morning, and said his name was Uzumaki Naruto and he was 15 years old and loved orange. Oh, and he didn't do chatting much, and he liked questions and answers because that he could do.

 

(I guess someone found out I closed myself off when I first arrived and therefore didn't even know Naruto's name until now, and this was his way of solving the problem.)

 

After that, things went a lot easier.

 

It took me one group session to learn 5 more names (Sakura, Sasuke, TenTen, Gai and Dr. Jiraiya), though I didn't like that session very much, because I had to tell the entire group why I had pulled such stunt.

 

And because I promised myself I would at least try to be honest and nice, I admitted I really liked Lee and I wanted to have his bed now he was gone, Oh, and I acted really weird because I was sad. I wanted to say goodbye to Lee but I didn't.

 

And I sort of might have wanted to kiss him, somewhere when I'd be saying goodbye. Sort of. A little bit. Perhaps.

 

My confession resulted in an applause, because every found it `brave' that I admitted such a thing.

 

The rest of the day I tried to talk to my new roommate Gaara, but apparently, that wasn't my brightest idea. Gaara just sat next to me, and that was about it. He completely ignored everything.

 

But I was content anyway.

 

For now I knew 8 names in this place. And even though I hadn't got a single clue what everyone was here for, I was socially progressing a lot now.

 

After all, would it really be so difficult to learn what kind of disorders people had?

 

 

It was a quiet morning when I decided to read a book again. Lately I had really spent a lot of time trying to figure out people's names. I also spend a lot of time with Gaara, who turned out to be really quiet company. But I was okay with that, because didn't dislike silence.

 

But this morning Gaara had a private session with his Doctor (some guy named Baki) so I had no one to spend time with.

 

So naturally, I positioned myself on the dusty couch in the recreation room, and started reading a book. It was really quiet in the room that morning, for only a few people passed by every so often, and there was only one other boy sitting on the room. The boy (I think people call him `Shika' all the time) was currently reading a girl's magazine, holding the magazine in one hand, while writing furiously on a note block with the other. Every other moment he would look up and scan the room.

 

The boy kept doing it, somehow managing to never look at the things I would imagine him to look to, like the billiard-table, the chessboard-corner, or the bookshelves. No, instead of that he kept on looking at everyone who passed by.

 

I was pretty curious now: why did the `Shika'-boy read a girl's magazine? And why did he look interested in people rather than objects? Why did he look interested anyway? Wasn't he the one with the permanent bored look on his face?

 

.. And how was he able to do 3 things at the same moment?

 

“Hey, is there something the matter, OCD-boy?” The `Shika'-boy interrupted my thoughts. He was now staring at me.

 

“It's Hyuuga-“

 

“Neji. You're Hyuuga Neji: I know. Is there something wrong?”

 

“Eh?”

 

“You are staring at me.”

 

I was? Oh right, I was!

 

“You interest me.” I simply answered, before I realised the wrongness of my statement.

 

“I interest you? Oh my!” The boy suddenly started giggling -giggling- at me. I felt this conversation was not going into the direction I wanted it to go.

 

“We can't have you be interested in me, dear Neji! You must not forget my heart already belongs to Sasuke!”

 

.. This is the moment my mind went blank.

 

ShikaSasu?!

 

“Sasuke?” I repeated the name with a hollow voice, not quite comprehending what was going on.

 

“Yes! You know him right? I mean, you can't really miss him: he's the most beautiful boy in the whole wide world, with his mysterious looks and gorgeous smile!”

 

“But..”

 

“Yes. I know Sasuke doesn't really see me standing.. YET! He will! After all, the only concurrent around here is Forehead Girl, and honestly: who would ever pick Sakura over me? Not Sasuke, I'll tell you!”

 

ShikaSasu above SakuSasu?

 

EH?!

 

“Sasuke's gay!?” I finally shouted. Was Sasuke gay? And was Sasuke actually lusting after `Shika'?

 

“Eh? Of course he isn't! He'll love me after all!”

 

“But you're a boy!” At least, I hope he is. After all, with the girl's magazine on his lap and the girlish giggle he uttered just a moment ago, I'm not so sure anymore..

 

But suddenly, `Shika' started giggling madly.

 

“Poor Neji! No wonder you're confused.. Don't you know why Shika is here?” I answered with a blank stare. Come one, I didn't even know his full name yet, “You see, I'm not Shika. My name is Yananaka Ino.” The boy/girl gave me a toothpaste grin.

 

“No. You're called `Shika'.” I bluntly replied.

 

“Eh, no. Shika isn't here right now. Chouji isn't either.”

 

Chouji?

 

“What are you talking about? Are you retarded?!”

 

“NO! We're not stupid, thank you very much! Besides, Shika is even considered a genius! We're the best team you'll ever find.”

 

“WE?! It's just you and me, there is no `we'!”

 

“I-.. Ugh, forget it, OCD-boy! I'll tell Shika and Chouji how awfully mean you were to me, so don't except one of us to talk to you anymore!” And with a big and loud `hmmpf!' the boy got up and made his way out of the recreation room.

 

Somewhere I think this conversation didn't go well.

 

 

Later that day I had art-class. This time I had positioned myself between Gaara and Sakura, because I had believed it was the safest place to be.

 

It was, until Sakura decided to pick up a fight with `Shika' who had drawn the nicest Sasuke.

 

I merely stared at the two in wonder. Perhaps I should just ask Gaara what was wrong with the boy..

 

Speaking of him: Gaara was drawing a raccoon, while I was drawing my usual bird-in-cage. Apparently Gaara drew a racoon most of the time. Well, actually, Gaara tried drawing a racoon most of the time it seemed. Usually Gaara just stood in front of his canvas, staring at his drawing, not really doing anything at all. I hadn't asked him why he didn't draw so far, so I could only guess for a reason.

 

I looked from Gaara's poorly progressed canvas to my own. Again, I was drawing a bird. The only difference this time was that I had added a few red-orange streaks through the feathers of the bird. It was the same color as Gaara's racoon usually had.

 

The teacher would probably not notice the red-orange streaks, but it was fun to do it anyway.

 

It felt like I was socially progressing.

 

When my bird was almost done, and when `Shika' sat down moping in a corner at the other side of the room, I asked Gaara what was wrong with the boy/girl.

 

Gaara didn't respond.

 

Figures.

 

Somewhere, I still hoped from time to time Gaara would just talk up, but I had already figured out he didn't really talk a lot.

 

Perhaps his pills, those big red oval-shaped ones that he had to take every day, were just as ineffective as the pills I once had to take?

 

In the end, I just turned to Sakura, and asked her if she could explain me what was wrong with `Shika'.

 

After she laughed really hard because I used his nickname instead of his full name, she told me that Shikamaru (which was his complete name) suffered from severe Dissociative Identity Disorder: DID.

 

“Diss-.. You mean multiple personalities?”

 

“Yes, basically. Three persons, packed up in one.”

 

She also let me know that if Shikamaru had been acting Bitchy (with capital B), it must have been Ino who I had been talking to.

 

And then she mentioned both Ino and she liked Sasuke a lot, but she was sure she would get him in the end, because Sasuke didn't like the way Shikamaru looked. Because it was said that Sasuke was `into' longhaired people, and Shikamaru had short hair.

 

Figures.

 

Leave it to me to pick up a fight with someone with DID.

 

Ugh.

 

I wanted to scowl really nasty to Shikamaru, but because I promised myself to act nicer to the people here, I just ignored the moping teen and turned my attention to my newest roommate.

 

“I'll help.” I stated, because Gaara was only staring at his canvas, not doing anything really.

 

“Well, well, well, well, well.. Neji!” As I sneakily tried to help Gaara with his drawing, someone yelled my name again. I didn't need to look to my left to know it was Naruto who was trying to get my attention. Only he had the ability to actually say `well' ten times in a row, without scaring people away in this place.

 

“What is it, Naruto?”

 

“You like orange. So 6 days ago you lied to me.” It took me a full minute to comprehend what Naruto was talking about. Then I remembered I told him I hated the color orange. And then I spotted my painting, where one could see orange streaks running through the bird's feathers.

 

Ehh.. Oops?

 

“I uhh.. I didn't lie, Naruto.” I finally said, before adding another orange-red streak to my painting. Then I turned around, and gave Naruto a brilliant explanation.

 

“Naruto, I'm stuck in this building, just like this bird if stuck in it's cage. I don't like being here, and that's why I add orange streaks, because this bird wants to be free as well.” When I finished telling my lie, at least two people from the West Wing shamelessly stared at me in awe. They probably weren't used to hear people talk about feelings and thoughts.

 

“Oh.” Naruto said, before he turned around and trotted back to his own drawing. I shrugged my shoulders, before turning my attention back to Gaara. I sneakily tried to help him again, but fate wasn't spent on me today.

 

“Neji!” When my name was yelled another time, I stopped trying to help Gaara altogether.

 

“What?” I replied disinterested, before I was suddenly almost tackled.

 

“Neji, such a selfless thought that you shared with us! You are so fair and honest, to just tell us what is going around in you little head!” Gai gave me a bright and creepy smile, “I cannot help but to think that you simply must join me for lunch today! You hardly sit with me anymore, Neji. You must be missing my cool company, do you not?!”

 

And indeed, Gai pumped up his hands in the air and his teeth went `Bling'.

 

“Neji, you really have a gift for drawing birds. But perhaps you are interested in taking a look at my wonderful and brilliant painting?”

 

I took a sneak-peak at Gaara, who was still staring at his drawing with a bored look, before I answered that I didn't mind.

 

Gai liked it, just like Lee did, when you paid attention to them. That I had figured out pretty quick after I decided to be nicer.

 

“Yeah, that is wonderful news! Neji, you will LOVE my painting!” that said, Gai nearly dragged me to the other side of the room. We walked past paintings on butterflies, sharks, dead people who suspiciously looked like Un-rapist and his hollow-voiced red-haired friend, and..

 

A deformed angel?

 

“Hey, OCD-kid, stop ogling! You never saw a God or what!?” Angel-painter turned around, and I felt really small and insignificant for a moment.

 

“Off course Neji has! He lunches with me after all!” Gai answered with one of his usual disco-80-poses, and all of a sudden, Gai gained a point on my respect-o-meter.

 

“Neji, here it is! I put a lot of work in it, and I really believe that the eyes came out SUPER!” was Gai's comment, as I stared at a self-portrait of Gai himself. On the painting he was doing one of his weird poses again.

 

“It's ehh.. Gai, aren't you supposed to draw something that represents you? As in ehh.. Not yourself?”

 

“But this is who I am! Listen, I have figured out that our teacher really likes me, so I am doing her a favor every time I draw myself! She really likes my self-portraits.”

 

“Well uh, that is, what I'm meaning to say is that it's a great portrait.” I blatantly lied, because such lies made people like Gai happy.

 

“You do, do you not! You know Neji, I can ask our teacher if you can have one of my paintings. You can hang them in your room! That would be great, would it not!?”

 

I smiled unsurely, until I figured out Gai wasn't joking. He was really serious about it.

 

Perhaps it was time for me to get the hell away from Gai.

 

“Eh, I believe TenTen is calling me. Sorry, but I have to go now. I uh, I see you at lunch.” And I scrambled away to far-away corner of the room, because that is where TenTen was seated.

 

This time I walked past more regular paintings - A dog, a bird, a plant, and lastly, a blank slate.

 

“TenTen, you should draw something.” I said, but she didn't respond in any way.

 

“TenTen, you don't know what to draw? How about a self-portrait, if you haven't got any ideas?” I playfully suggested. But she wasn't like Gai at all, so she didn't see any humor in my suggestion.

 

“Don't say stupid things, Neji.” Her voice was slow and soft, and she didn't look happy at all. Perhaps she really didn't like the prospect of drawing her own face on white canvas?

 

“Well, I uh..” I was at loss of words, because I had thought people would respond if I asked them things and if I showed some interest, but TenTen seemed to be an exception.

 

It made me wonder why she was here.

 

“I'm going now.” I told her in the end, and trotted back to my own painting. TenTen didn't say `Goodbye' when I left, and Gaara didn't say `Hello' when I got back.

 

It made me realise that trying to be social wasn't all that easy.

 

 

It was somewhere around midnight, but I had yet to fall a sleep.

 

“Neji, what is the outside world like?” came the sudden question from Gaara's side of the room. I completely caught me off guard, because Gaara hadn't spoken to me at all today. Surely, we spend a lot of time together, but Gaara really didn't like to talk most of the time.

 

“Why do you ask?” I replied after a moment.

 

It was silent for a long time.

 

The only thing I heard was some shuffling in Gaara's bed, and I wondered if Gaara would answer my question.

 

“The outside world.. To me.. We have a field trip to the beach next week,” Gaara talked really slow and soft, so I had to strain my ears to hear, “I.. Get sand between my toes.. And people only scream.. And the water, it's disgusting,” Again, he paused for a long time. I kept quiet, because I wasn't sure if Gaara was done speaking or not. Apparently, he wasn't, for he continued after another full minute of silence, “And ice-cream melt too quick. Naruto.. He doesn't want to go to other places.”

 

“That's pathetic.”

 

“Yeah,” A long pause, “I.. Don't like the outside world much.”

 

Somewhere, I understood Gaara completely. I already saw first-hand what happened if someone tried to mix up Naruto's schedule, so it was no wonder the staff couldn't go to other places on field-trips, because Naruto would probably snap.

 

I did wonder why Gaara brought the subject up. He had to strain himself a lot to talk so much, so it had to be really important to him.

 

“Neji.. Your outside world.. How is that?”

 

My outside world?

 

You mean.. My stupid family, who I hate passionately? My stupid nieces, who are either snotty or shy? My stupid uncle, who only visits me once in the month because he probably hates my guts? My FATE, which is crappy and annoying and stupid and..

 

“It's like a vacuum cleaner.”

 

“..Eh?”

 

“It sucks.”

 

(It did me well to hear Gaara's prolonged laughter for the first time in my life, even though it was in the middle of the night.)

 

But something bothered me about the whole ordeal.

 

I think it had been very difficult for Gaara to let me know he disliked fieldtrips so much. Perhaps because most of our group liked every possibility to go outside once in a while, while he obviously did not. It probably made him feel different.

 

This all made me think a lot.

 

I knew from experience the outside world was -indeed- not as great as many people thought. Outside of this place are people constant dying, killing, crying, and being unhappy as they lived their life. Life sucks for most of us. And Gaara was probably right: the outside world wasn't something to be liked.

 

Something was wrong in this picture though. I knew Gaara had been in this shitty place for a long time already, because Kiba had been bothering me the other say, and he told me that people like Sasuke and Gaara had been living here since for-ever.

 

Therefore, Gaara probably never really saw more of the outside world than the crappy beach we were going to.

 

That bothered me all right. Gaara was so sure of himself when he told me he did not like the outside world much, even though his experience was merely based on one beach in the whole world.

 

It wasn't fair.

 

I found it wrong that Gaara hadn't got more opportunities to see more of the outside world.

 

It was definitely not all right that Gaara had based his opinion of the entire world outside this place on one crappy beach.

 

This was very unfair and, of course, I felt obligated to help Gaara.

 

So I formed a plan.

 

I was going to kidnap Gaara during the fieldtrip, and I was going to show him the outside world.

 

For I was Hyuuga Neji, Boy Genius, and surely I had a knack for awesome plans.