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Then Hitori felt a hand suddenly grab his wrist, pulling him back from the edge. He dangled precariously over the edge, his heart pounding like a drum in his chest. His eyes snapped open, and he glanced down at the dizzying drop below before looking back up.
There, gripping his arm tightly, was a boy. Kaito's face was pale as he struggled, but he managed a strained smile as he held on with all his strength.
"Don't you know you're supposed to stay away from the edge?" Kaito said, chuckling nervously as if trying to lighten the tense moment.
Hitori bit his bottom lip nervously. "Why... Why are you—"
"Because I'm your friend, dumbass," Kaito interrupted, cutting him off before he could finish his sentence.
Hitori opened his mouth to respond but no words came out. He just hung there, frozen, unsure of what to say.
"Don't worry about it. I didn't see anything," Kaito added quickly, his tone lighter this time. Then, grunting as he struggled, he said, "But hey, do you mind helping me out here?" He was already tugging at Hitori.
Hitori stayed silent for a long moment, hanging precariously from the edge of the wall. His eyes shifted downward to the ground far below, then back up to Kaito, who was struggling to hold on to him. Letting out a resigned sigh, Hitori pressed his foot against the wall and adhered to it, sticking firmly as if it were second nature.
Kaito froze, his arms still straining to support Hitori's weight. He narrowed his eyes in disbelief. "You could've done that the whole time?" he asked in frustration.
Without a word, Hitori climbed over the edge and sat down, his legs dangling casually as he peered down at Kaito. Meanwhile, Kaito let out an exasperated sigh and released his grip, falling backward onto the ground with a soft thud. He lay there for a moment, flat on his back, trying to catch his breath, the strain of the effort still evident in his heaving chest.
Hitori glanced down at him, his expression as unreadable as ever. "You okay?" he finally asked.
Kaito waved a hand weakly in the air, still sprawled out. "Just... give me a second. That was way harder than it needed to be," he muttered, half-laughing at the absurdity of it all.
"I don't understand... why do you want to be friends?" Hitori asked once more. It was more than he had ever said to Kaito before.
Kaito smiled warmly. "We're the same," he replied simply, as if that explained everything. He stood up from the floor, brushing the dust off his pants, and looked directly at Hitori.
Hitori opened his mouth to ask another question, his brows furrowing slightly, but before he could say anything, Kaito cut him off. "If you're going to keep asking questions," he said with a grin, "let's do it at my house. It's a lot more comfortable there."
Hitori raised an eyebrow, his skepticism clear. "Aren't you working right now?" he asked, crossing his arms.
Kaito fumbled for a response, a grin creeping onto his face. "I can just leave," he said confidently. "I'll tell them it's an emergency. Works every time." He said with an enthusiastic thumbs-up.
Hitori stared at him for a long moment, studying his expression. The seriousness of the situation clashed with Kaito's casual demeanor. Finally, with a resigned sigh, Hitori muttered, "Fine. Let's go."
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Kaito reached into his pocket, pulling out a key and sliding it into the lock. With a turn and a push, the door creaked open, revealing the inside of his apartment.
He glanced back at Hitori, who stood there silently, his expression unreadable, as if lost in thought.
"Sorry, it's not much," Kaito said, his tone apologetic. "This place is pretty rough, but it gets the job done."
Hitori stepped inside, his gaze shifting around the room, taking in the worn furniture and peeling wallpaper. After a moment, he looked back at Kaito and said, "It's fine. Mine's not much better."
Kaito shrugged and smiled faintly. "Want some tea?"
Hitori nods in return. " I do, thank you. " he appreciated.
Kaito moved to the small kitchen, quickly setting two mismatched cups on the counter. "Have a seat—well, the floor, I guess. I don't have chairs," he said with a sheepish chuckle.
Hitori hesitated before lowering himself to sit cross-legged near the low table. Kaito joined him, carefully placing the cups of tea on the table. They sat quietly for a moment before Hitori spoke. "Why did you say we're the same?"
Kaito paused, his fingers brushing the edge of his cup. "I'm alone, too," he said finally. "I don't have a lot of friends, and I get picked on at the Academy. When I saw you sitting by yourself, I thought… maybe I could be your friend."
He quickly raised his hands, flashing an awkward smile. "No offense or anything."
Hitori surprised him with a small smile in return. "None taken."
Kaito relaxed, his grin widening. "I just wanted to be genuine, you know? No pressure or anything. You don't have to open up until you're ready."
Hitori paused for a moment, his gaze dropping to the faint reflection of his face in the tea. "Thank you," he said softly.
For a while, neither of them spoke. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, though—it felt natural, like the quiet was needed to let the moment settle.
Hitori's eyes eventually wandered to the pile of books stacked on the low table. His brows lifted slightly, a flicker of surprise lighting up his face. "You've read all of these?" he asked, his voice tinged with curiosity and a hint of disbelief.
Kaito followed Hitori's gaze to the stack of books and gave a small, sheepish smile. "Yeah, most of them," he admitted, scratching the back of his head. Kaito sat his teacup down and leaned back slightly, a small but determined smile playing on his lips. " One day, I hope to become a medical nin." he said.
Hitori's eyes widened slightly, clearly surprised. "That's why you're working at the hospital?"
Kaito nodded, a small, earnest smile forming on his lips. "Yeah. It's not much right now, just cleaning and running errands, but it's a start. I figured being around doctors and patients would teach me something, even if it's just the basics."
Hitori studied Kaito for a moment, his expression hard to read. He glanced around the room briefly before his eyes returned to Kaito. "If you'd like, I could teach you," Hitori said quietly. "I am a medical nin, after all."
Kaito's eyes widened like saucers, practically glowing with excitement. "Really?" he shouted, the word bursting out of him like he couldn't contain it. He leaped to his feet, cheering and bouncing around the room. Finally, he spun back to face Hitori, dropping to his knees dramatically and bowing deeply.
Hitori's face softened, a faint smile forming as he raised a hand in a small, awkward wave. "Please, you don't have to do that," he said a little nervously, as though unsure how to handle Kaito's energy.
Kaito practically beamed with excitement, cutting Hitori off mid-sentence. "Thank you so much, Sensei-sama!" he exclaimed, his voice full of gratitude.
Hitori's lips twitched slightly, almost curving into a smile. He didn't respond right away, but the subtle relaxation in his shoulders spoke volumes. It was a quiet, unspoken way of saying, "You're welcome."
Hitori glanced out the window, noticing how late it had gotten. "Alright," he said, his tone measured, "if we're going to do this, I'll try to come over and teach you." He paused, running a hand through his hair. "But don't expect much. I'm not exactly a great teacher. I'll just show you what I know."
Kaito's eyes lit up as he nodded enthusiastically. "Alright! I'm ready!"
Hitori couldn't help but crack a small smile. He stood up from the floor, brushing off his clothes. "Okay, it's getting late. I'll see you tomorrow," he said.
Kaito quickly got up as well, his energy still buzzing. "Okay, let me walk you out," he offered, moving toward the door.
Hitori nodded, following Kaito to the door. As Hitori left, Kaito slowly closed it behind him, waving goodbye with a big grin on his face. Hitori gave him a small nod in return, turning away as the door clicked shut.
The moment the door was fully closed, however, Kaito's cheerful expression melted away. His smile faded, leaving his face completely blank. His face was devoided of any emotion, his eyes staring into nothingness.
He released a heavy sigh, stretching lazily. "That was too much smiling for one day," he grumbled, rubbing his jaw to ease the ache in his cheeks.
He headed over to his bed and flopped onto his back, staring at the ceiling. 'I feel kinda bad for using him like that,' he thought, his lips curling into a faint yawn. 'But I didn't expect the guy to try and kill himself.'
If he hadn't decided to check on the guy, his plans would've spiraled into disaster. Thankfully, he caught him just in time, moments before the man's desperation pushed him to the edge.
He shot up from his bed, his mind racing as the words spilled out: "But at least tomorrow, I'll finally start learning medical ninjutsu." The thought was one of the only things keeping him going these days.
His plans were finally moving forward... his goal of becoming the Ultimate Shinobi was finally within reach.
"Here I come, world..." He thrust his fist into the air, a smile creeping across his face.
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