"How you doin?" Satoru asked casually, but there was no response.
Kaito went back to looking at the grave.
"Uhh..." Satoru looked around before talking again.
"Congrats on becoming chunin, how does it feel knowing that you're my boss now?" Satoru asked, making Kaito clench his fist tightly.
His lips trembled as he thought of something to say, only for Satoru to speak again.
"Did you know, I'm legally banned from becoming chunin? Apparently I have a crim..." Satoru's words were cut off as Kaito lashed out.
Kaito stands up and looks at Satoru in the eye while taking off his chunin vest.
"If you want it that badly..." He threw the jacket at Satoru's face, hitting him. "THEN TAKE IT!"
The jacket fell to the ground but no one picked it up.
The people at the cemetery turned to look at the commotion. Some made comments while others felt offended by the tone Kaito spoke in.
But Kaito didn't care.
"Why? Why did you fix the match? You could win." Satoru said calmly, looking at Kaito.
Kaito broke eye contact, turning away from him. His arms folded together as he softly spoke, "You don't know...I just couldn't." His clenched fist was tightened to the point it bled.
"I couldn't." He voiced out the words with venom.
"..." Satoru stared at Kaito's back, unsure of what he should say...or to feel.
"WHY?"
"Excuse me?" Satoru asked.
"W-why did grandpa had to die? Why was an orphanage like me punished..." Kaito turned to face Satoru, his eyes teary.
"I didn't even wrong anyone. I didn't kill anyone or-or ruin someone's family or something! What sin did I commit that I get...this."
Kaito pointed at himself, before gritting his teeth. Satoru's collar was violently pulled by Kaito.
"Why did YOU get parents?" Kaito's tears fell on Satoru. "...why did you get parents?" He repeated, this time much weakly than last time.
"It...it wasn't out of love." Satoru said, thinking of Mitsuki.
Kaito let go off his collar, allowing satoru to stand back up, before stepping back.
He fell to the ground, on his knees. The next moment, he broke down. All the rage drained from him, leaving behind...pain.
His shoulders shook, his body trembled and his hands covered his face.
Satoru watched Kaito wetten the tombstone with his tears and there was nothing he could do.
He waited and waited...for Kaito to collect himself up.
Kaito slowly calmed down, as he looked up to see the sky. The sky was filled with dark clouds which threatened to bring rain.
The clouds parted revealing the clear sky. A blue canvas of clarity.
His eyes hardened with resolve, staring into Satoru's being,
"You're right."
"About?" Satoru raised an eyebrow.
"I shouldn't have done it. If I hadn't fixed the match...my life would have been better." Kaito said, looking at his fallen chunin vest with disgust in his eyes.
"I saw it...the disappointment. He died in shame of what I did and what I am."
"What are you?"
"I'm a fraud!" Kaito said before stomping his vest.
Kaito left without looking back, leaving the chunin vest on the floor near Satoru's feet.
Satoru watched the retreating figure of Kaito in the distance. He picked up the vest, choosing to stay there for a while.
---
A few years ago.
The sun was yet to rise and the village was shrouded in darkness. The village, except for a few, slept without worries.
Kaito woke up before his alarm could ring and wake up his roommates. He stood up and entered the washroom despite his drowsiness...as if it was routine.
He left the building and met up with a local trader, trying his best to stop the yawn.
"You're late! If you keep doing this, I'll have no choice but to get a new delivery boy." The man sternly said, handing him a bag full of newspaper.
"I'm sorry...I'll be on time tomorrow." Kaito bowed, before taking the bag, leaving quickly.
Kaito placed the bag on the back of his rusty cycle, placing his feet on the pedals and heading off to make deliveries.
Within an hour, the bag was empty and Kaito headed it back to the trader.
"Here. Your cut." The man said, handing him a few coins and a few bills.
"It's not the agreed amount! I made all the deliveries." Kaito said, stopping the man who was about to leave.
"If you would have come on time, you would have recieved your agreed amount."
Kaito frowned as he took a step towards him.
"My competitors are gaining business because of people like you!" The man commented, making him stop.
Kaito left before he could be berated any longer.
He looked at the money he gained, it stinged as he kept counting them, hoping the number would change if he counted again.
"I'll have to skip meals. I-I could pretend to forget my lunch an-and maybe get something from others? The orphanage only provides one meal. What do I..."
His thoughts were interrupted as the sun rays hit his face, Kaito gulped thinking what it meant.
"If I don't reach orphanage on time...I'll be late for academy. Or I could skip the breakfast and directly go to the academy." He held his head in frustration,
'The academy is too far from here.' Kaito ran towards the orphanage to collect his books, before directly skipping breakfast and heading out.
---
Kaito was out of breath.
His body was drenched in sweat as he stood near the entrance of the academy, leaning against the gate.
"...And I'm STILL late!" He muttered, heading to his classroom.
The classroom was buzzing with noise, children ran around and caused trouble for the class rep, because the teacher was yet to arrive.
Kaito quietly sat behind the boy with messy black hair, expressionless face and a carefree posture.
'He is Satoru, huh? People keep talking about how he is studying next year's syllabus and has long completed this year's.' Kaito observed as Satoru stood and waved, inviting another boy near him.
One of the few popular kids, aside from Sakumo and Nawaki, waved back and approached Satoru to sit next to him.
"Yo! Why did you leave without me?" Tatsuo said, placing his bag down and taking out a book.
Satoru shrugged, "Not my fault that you take your time shitting."
Tatsuo became red with embarrassment, before changing the topic.
"What gift are you planning to give? Miku became chunin, so it better be good." Tatsuo said, taking out his pencil and began completing his homework.
"I'll give him a chakra conducting blade, the fancy kind. He'll get to flex on his teammates!" Satoru said with a small smile.
"Those kind of blades cost millions, at the lower ranges! Do you have money for that." Tatsuo asked, stopping to look at Satoru.
Satoru didn't remove his eyes of his books as his fingers reached to the zipper of his bag, opening it in a slow and secretive way.
"HOLY SHIT! That's a lot of mo..." tatsuo almost shouted, before Satoru closed his mouth shut.
"Are you planning to place a bounty on head?" Satoru whispered.
"You are carrying millions in cash in your bag? Are you out of your mind?" Tatsuo whispered back.
That stung Kaito deeper than he would like.
'He is an orphan too...but he is gifting someone a sword worth millions, carrying millions in cash in his bag...what else is he hiding?'
Kaito clenched his stomach in pain, which rumbled loudly and make a few laugh. He hadn't eaten anything for an entire day.
---
The rays of the sun on summer afternoon felt like burning hot needles pricking Kaito's skin.
The sweat from his forehead fell on the floor, which he kept sweeping, moving trash and collecting it, before dumping it into the bin.
He fell to the floor.
His legs gave out from working for hours on a Sunday. He watched children his age in the distance, playing in the shade.
He stood before picking up his broom...the floor wouldn't get cleaned by itself.
The stall cooked freshly caught fish, spreading its aroma to far and beyond, straight into Kaito's nose. He turned to see the shop, filled to the brim with customers.
He couldn't control himself as his legs moved on his own, he neared the stall and saw the various types of cooked fish on display.
His fingers lightly touched one of the fishes, his mouth watered...
He felt a sharp pain on his hand. The stall owner looked up and down at him, a disgusted expression was apparent on his face.
"Do you even have money to afford my special dishes?" He said, already serving another customer.
"Here! This is all the money I have. Please can I have one?"
"This is nearly not enough. Get the hell out of here!" He shoved Kaito out of the stall.
Kaito accidentally knocked the fish from its place, making it fall, ruining it.
The man in a fit of rage, snatched the money from Kaito and kicked him away into the street, as the villagers seemingly ignored him while walking by.
"I didn't eat anything...give my money back...Please!" Kaito pleaded,
The man took the ruined fish and threw it into the dustbin, while it still smelled delicious.
"You'd rather throw it than give it to me?"
The man scowled, before turning his attention to someone else...someone who could actually afford his food.
Kaito stood up and walked away, his pockets were emptier than ever, his stomach, in turn, also will be emptier than ever.
A fruit stand in the distance attracted a lot of attention, and the person selling the fruits was too busy dealing with each and every customer.
Kaito, in a time of desperation, quickly grabbed an apple, before running away into a corner.
He opened his mouth to take a bite, only to hear a cough, making him turn to face the person.
"You stole it." The old man said, pointing at him.
He stepped closer and raised his hand, making Kaito flinch, only for the hand to gently rest on Kaito's head.
"You haven't eaten in a while, huh?" Old man Taro, observed his sunken cheeks.
"Yes." Kaito gulped,
"Here. Now, go and apologize to that man for stealing." Old man Taro said, handing him money for the apple.
Kaito nodded before quickly running to the food stand owner.
"I'm very sorry for stealing for stealing an apple...forgive me." Kaito said as he bowed and handed the money.
The man had a benevolent smile, "I actually saw you run away...you probably needed it more than me. This one's on me!"
The man gave him another apple, which Kaito took with teary eyes. He walked back to the old man.
"If you want a place to live and food to eat...come at this place." He gave Kaito an address, "You'll have to help me at the store I own, though. Up for it?"
The tears couldn't be control anymore, they fell with no restraint, as he intensely nodded.
"YES!!!"
---
"I'm sorry to tell this, but his condition has deteriorated from the last time you came here." The doctor said.
"Do something about it! I paid for all the treatments, didn't I? Bring better doctors, o-or get better equipment!"
The doctor placed his arm on Kaito's shoulder, making him stop. "This isn't about money or better doctors. It's nature itself."
The doctor gulped looking at Kaito, turning to leave soon after.
Kaito's heart sank as he took a step back, his vision blurred as he turned to see his grandfather.
He faced Kaito and raised his hand as if to reach Kaito from far away. Kaito immediately ran and held the dying man's hand.
"I'm proud of you." Old man Taro said softly.
"You need to rest! The doctors will soon heal you. Just rest!" Kaito insisted with a forced smile.
"I said it before and I'll say it again...you...are...a...a..."
The eyes turned glassy and Kaito suddenly felt no grip from his hand.
"I am a What? I AM A WHAT?!?" Kaito shouted,
Kaito saw pain in his eyes, pain he thought was inflicted by him.
"...failure, right?...or a burden who could never repay you..."
The doctors and nurses shoved him aside to inspect Taro, making Kaito fall to the cold sterile floor.
Despite having paid bags full of money, Kaito couldn't afford what he truly wanted.