Chapter 22: Chapter 21 – A Call For Help

The teenager started with Iruka and Yugao. Izumi took the baby and their mother to the park, and the genins cleaned the house thoroughly. Then, they scheduled a rotation. If one of them was out of the village for more than a day, the others would have to go visit Hazuki to assist with her shopping.

Jun went to his teammates afterward. Natsumi and Susumu began delivering food. Natsumi was an orphan, but she knew how to cook. Susumu couldn’t cook to save his life, but his mother was an excellent cook. She felt for Jun’s situation and decided to help in her way. Shiba brought them boxes full of baby clothes. Jun then learned that his sensei had a daughter, who was born when he was a teenager. She was now five years old.

Finally, Jun went to see the chunins who used to work with his mother. First Genma, then Kurenai, there were the two he knew well. He approached them separately. A part of him was ashamed to admit his weakness, that he couldn’t handle everything on his own, and that he needed help. However, no one turned him down. Genma immediately offered to drop by from time to time, to cook and clean. He even offered to send Kotetsu and Izumo, who were living with him, to do the same. Kurenai wanted to babysit Kazuma on some days, so Hazuki and Izumi could rest a little.

People spread the word. They organized themselves. Genma, Kotetsu, and Izumo lived in the same neighborhood as Jun’s family. It became frequent to see them pass by at least once a day to clean or cook. Kurenai also helped Izumi to keep up in school to improve her grades. Anko even came and stayed overnight to watch the baby. She was surprisingly quiet when Kazuma was sleeping.

She acted as if it was a mission of the utmost importance. Gai volunteered to accompany Hazuki to her appointments at the hospital. Ebisu brought them food. One day, Madoka Hyuga knocked on their door with of box full of toys, sent by Hizashi Hyuga. The brother of the clan leader hadn’t forgotten about his former colleague.

Jun didn’t feel the time passed. He was constantly busy, performing one task after another and managing emergency after emergency. He carried out all the missions assigned to his team and trained with his teammates at every opportunity he had. However, while his comrades were resting, he asked for other missions. As a genin, he could only perform D-rank missions on his own. He often found himself playing a delivery man in the village or picking up trash by the river. His Fuinjutsu project and Sharingan training had to be put on hold.

Summer quickly came. Jun realized with surprise that the worst was over. His family had a safety net. Some people regularly came to the house to take care of household chores. Thanks to donations and gifts from those around them, the stress on their financials was considerably reduced. The main thing Jun was grateful for was that they were no longer isolated. They were surrounded by people who cared about them, and who would protect them if necessary.

These people lived their own lives, but they still took the time to think about Hazuki regularly. The family's situation had changed so quickly. A few months ago, Jun was worried about not having people who could support his family in time of need, and now it was completely different. Izumi wasn’t alone. Their mother wasn’t abandoned by her former colleagues. Kazuma wasn’t neglected. Jun could breathe easily. He no longer carried all the weight of his family on his shoulders. He felt like he was indebted to the people who helped, but it was worth it.

It took him a few weeks to get back to a normal schedule. He was so used to working from morning to evening that he felt restless when he was doing nothing. He had missed the chunin exam taking place in Kumo right now. Shiba was careful not to mention it. The deadline to register had passed. He wasn’t upset. He wouldn’t have made it anyway. It was during the time his family needed him the most.

Jun took a day off to relax. He spent time at home after his missions with his team. He trained with her little sister. He also hung out with his mother and his baby brother. He felt good being able to spend time with his family.

“Working too much is bad for the health. I should learn to rest more and spend time with you, right? I can’t believe it’s been six months since you were born, Kazuma.” Jun said to the baby while playing with him in his arms.

Kazuma chattered happily, seemingly completely agreeing with him. He was a cute baby, with round cheeks and a gurgling laugh. He had brown hair, which seemed to be the only thing he had inherited from his father. He had Hazuki’s smooth hair, black eyes, nose, fair skin, and long eyelashes. He was the copy of a perfect little Uchiha.

Genma gave an amused snort behind Jun. He came to help take care of the apartment today. He was wiping the dishes to dry them.

“You’re too young to drown yourself in work like that. You’ll burn out pretty fast.” He added without ceasing his task.

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“I’m a genin. The fees we get for team missions are split 4 ways. I had to do D-rank missions on my own to provide for my family. If I was a chunin, I could have earned more money.” Jun protested.

“Hm, do you plan to participate in the next exam? It will be in Konoha.”

Jun considered the idea. He was no longer driven by the need to make a lot of money for his family. Their situation was better. However, being promoted to chunin was tempting.

“I will be twelve soon. It’s not a bad idea to take the next exam.”

“I think your friend Yugao is going to participate as well,” Genma said.

“I’m not surprised. I’ll talk to Shiba-sensei about it to see what he thinks. But I believe my team can handle it.”

Genma nodded and finished the dishes. Jun glanced at him. They weren’t friends, but he had become a familiar figure in his life. It was the same for all of their mom’s friends. Jun only considered himself to be friends with Kurenai and Anko. He talked to them the most. It was strange to think that these people had been total strangers a few months earlier.

Kazuma was starting to yawn, and Jun tiptoed to put him to bed. The cradle was in her mother’s room, and she was sleeping soundly. She was a little better than when she left the hospital, but she still tired easily. It was as if her chakra production rate was struggling to return to normal. It didn’t present an immediate danger to her life, but it hurt Jun’s heart to see his mother so fragile. He still had the memories of her energetic self.

Genma soon disappeared. He was a Kage Bunshin, a clone sent to perform the task. It was not uncommon for the chunins to send a clone to help with housework or cooking. It wasn’t a task where the clones risked being destroyed. Moreover, it allowed them to be available in person to train or rest. Jun made a mental note to learn the technique as soon as possible. It was incredibly useful.

He laid down on the couch for a moment and let his thoughts drift. The chunin exam constituted an important step. He wondered if one of his friends who had taken the exam in Konoha could give him a clue on what to expect. Kurenai wouldn’t be much help. She wouldn’t divulge details that would give him an edge over the other competitors. She wanted everyone to have the same chances.

Anko would find it funny to provide him with information that would put him in embarrassing situations. He could ask the other members of their group, but he wasn’t sure how to bring up the subject. Yugao had failed her exam, but it was in Suna. There was Shisui, but he hadn’t seen him in months, even before Kazuma was born.

Like Jun and Izumi, their baby brother was also half-Uchiha. The clan would ignore him. Jun was fine with it. It meant he wouldn’t be involved with the massacre. But he couldn’t be sure. There was no way to be certain at this point. Jun sighed. He still had four years left before the massacre. He made his decision. He would take the chunin exam, and then… he would see. The promotion wouldn’t hurt if he obtained it. He would be more independent and earn more money. Those two things could aid him to prepare for the upcoming tragedy.

Jun suddenly felt Izumi’s familiar chakra coming up the street. He chased away his gloomy thoughts. There was still time to think about it.

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