The Hatake's
Hikaru had succumbed to tears once they had entered the examination room, which looked more like a science lab than anything else. There was one steel examining table that was equipped with thick buckles for restraining the feet, legs, arms, chest and head. The one window had bars on it, while there were several white tables that were piled high with beakers, tubes and lots of papers. Two file cabinets and a small table that held many silver painful looking instruments.
Iruka and Kakashi could understand and sympathized with why Hikaru immediately began to cry again, if they were his age they might cry seeing this place. It was creepy as heck.
"Its okay," assured Tsunade, placing her stack of folders down. "Trust me, this isn't my regular room and neither myself or Ibiki will be using half of the stuff in here."
"Who's room was this then?" Iruka picked up Hikaru and sat him down on the table then used his sleeve to clean the boy's wet face. "Why can't we be in your room?"
"This is Orochimaru's old office, separate from the one at the school." Tsunade got out Hikaru's folder. "I've been slowly and tirelessly going through all of his notes and files and folders to see if there's anything that can help me out there. I hate feeling like I don't know anything, especially seeing after every time I make a theory it gets debunked. I need to feel grounded, sure of myself."
"My blood is black!" Hikaru suddenly bust out, his chest heaving, eyes stark. "You can't say I'm human! I'm not human! I don't have red blood!"
"I'm sure you are human," said Tsunade, snapping on Latex gloves up to her elbow. "And that's because when I took your blood when you were a baby to get a paternity test, your blood was ruby red, bright and shining. I don't know why you just bled black right now and I'm determined to find out. Okay?"
Hikaru's eyes went wide and some hope shined. "I had red blood? When I was born, I was human?"
"You're still human Hikaru," Kakashi insisted, now regretting he told Hikaru that being human meant having red blood. It looked like his words really effected his son, because now Hikaru didn't think he was human anymore. "Trust us, you've always been and forever will be human, red blood or black, okay?"
Hikaru didn't respond but to sigh heavily, his shoulders slumped and his young face deeply depressed.
Iruka put his hand on Hikaru's shoulder, not saying anything as Tsunade came over with a needle, clearly to draw Hikaru's blood. His heart pumped faster, this was it. Would Hikaru's blood be red or black? He believed the same as Kakashi, that his son was human. Still, what was with the black fluid back there? Would the other children have black blood as well? What did it mean?
Tsunade cleaned Hikaru's arm with a wipe, at the bend of his elbow. Hikaru turned his face into Iruka's chest, his body clenching up. Kakashi was staring where the needle was slowly entering underneath Hikaru's skin, puncturing his vein. He knew damn well that his son was human, black, red or blue blood, he didn't care what color. Hikaru was his son, period.
Tsunade slowly pulled back the plunger and easily bubbling up in the barrel was bright red blood.
"Come on Hikaru, look!" Iruka turned Hikaru's head so he could see the red blood Tsunade was transferring into a test tube from his arm. "See, its red! Red as day!"
Hikaru watched and his face lit up happily. "Its red, its red! I am human! I must be!"
Tsunade however was frowning. "Why was it black earlier? I'm..." She put the blood down then picked up a razor blade.
Hikaru made a high-pitched squeal and moved as if to dive off the table but Iruka and Kakashi held him still.
Iruka said, "Calm down Hikaru, you know she's not going to hurt you. And even if she was, do you think we'd just stand by and let her? We're right here Hikaru and as long as we're with you, nothing is going to happen to you. Okay?" He kissed the pale boy's forehead and stroked his thick gray hair.
