Tomorrow's Another Day (Naruto Story)

Age 9: Asuka's Day Off

Age 9: Asuka’s Day Off

After bailing on him every Saturday for seven months since he first asked, Asuka decided it was about time to actually make it up to Taiyo for knocking him down that day. The way his eyes had lit up in terror; Asuka still felt terrible for it.

And it didn’t help things that she bailed on him so many times, either; however, missions would crop up, or Asuma would need to her do something and she would have to tell Taiyo she couldn’t play with him.

She always made a point of going in the shop and bearing the angry scowls of his parents to tell him face to face though. She would feel even worse if she had someone else do it for her. She would never be able to show the boy her face again if she did that. It was bad enough having to bail on Taiyo so much.

He always seemed so excited when she came into the shop, and then so sad when she said she couldn’t do it. He always told her that he understood why she was bailing on him, but that didn’t stop Asuka from feeling the way she did. Taiyo was smart enough to understand that she was a ninja and she had to go on missions.

He also once told her that he worried about her a bit when she leaves the village for long terms of time. He didn’t mean it to make her feel worse about it. Asuka found it endearing that he cared.

She left her house in a nice outfit for the day. She made sure it was something neater than she normal wore. A wrap top that was tucked into some shorts covered her body, her ninja sandals her feet. She had also pulled her not so long hair back into a small braid at the back of her head as best she could, even with the small bits of hair hanging out. She had even clipped her bangs out of her face.

It could be said that she looked like an actual girl today.

With a smile on her lips, Asuka headed toward the Omori’s Grocery Store to pick up Taiyo. She headed through the street and into the store in the same ten minutes of leaving her house.

Asuka walked up to the counter and bowed to Taiyo’s mother and father with a smile.

“Ditching Taiyo again?” his mother asked a little bitterly, folding her arms over her chest. The sea-green eyes she and Taiyo shared blinked at her with dangerous amusement.

“No, ma’am,” Asuka said with an apologetic smile, “I actually have the day off today.”

“Nothing to do for dad?” His father asked. Asuka shook her head.

“Not today, sir,” she said as she tried peeking out the back of the shop.

“I really thought you were pulling him along,” Taiyo’s mother said and then sighed as she came around the counter. She placed a hand on Asuka’s shoulders. “Just don’t hurt him. He trusts people too easily.”

Asuka looked up at the woman, then to his father who had gone to the back. “I wouldn’t,” she said, “I owe him anyways. You sore how I ran into him that day. And I’ve ditched him so many times. I feel so bad, but I had work. Ninjas don’t seem to get much time off and if I did, Dad always wanted me to do something with him…or for him. I tried turning Dad down, but he said he got stressed out about me moaning how I never get to see him.”

“How’d you get around that today?” Taiyo’s father asked as he returned from the back, leaning his elbows on the counter and looking at Asuka.

“Oh,” Asuka said, laughing a little. “I got Shika-sempai to spend the day with him. They’re having a shogi contest,” she scratched the back of her neck.

“A shogi fan, huh?” Taiyo’s father said, scratching his chin.

“Yeah,” Asuka said, laughing. “I’m rather fond of the game myself.”