Killing Expectations

The first thing that Yuichi did each day was check on Haru. However, today his day started differently. Haru was still with their uncles, and Yuichi went back home. He sat in his room with Donut and his other stuffed animals until he heard a knock on the door.
Someone from the hospital was finally here and he might find out how his mother is doing. He opened the door, both eager to be done waiting and terrified of the possibilities. Instead, it was a relative, a fellow Uchiha that Yuichi barely knew.
“Yuichi, right,” he said.
“Yeah,” said Yuichi.
“My name is Tetsuya Uchiha. I’ve been sent to do a wellness check.”
“A wellness check?”
“Yes, I was informed that you may not be doing well and so I came to check on you." He peered into what little of the room he could see from here. “I work for the Konoha government. May I come in?”
Yuichi gestured for him to go through and closed the door after he did. Tetsuya sat down on the couch and took out a notebook.
“Is it alright if I ask you some questions?”
“No sir,” Yuichi sat down in a chair so as to face Tetsuya. “Go ahead.”
“The first thing I’d like is your height and weight, as well as the last time you measured these things.”
“Why do you need my height and weight?”
“The faster you answer my questions the sooner we can move on with our day.”
“I’m four foot ten,” he told Tetsuya. As if he couldn’t tell Yuichi was smaller than most boys his age. “A hundred and eight pounds. I had it tested a month ago hoping I grew.”
“And you’re sixteen?”
“Yes, why?”
“Yuichi, I know you lied about your weight. Why did you?”
“I’m seventy eight pounds. Is it that important?”
“Yes. It is.” Tetsuya gave Yuichi a very serious look. “I’ve seen photo’s Yuichi. I know what you look like.”
“What?”
“When was the last time you ate?”
“Last night.”
“Do your parents ever feed you?”
“You are not here for a wellness check.”
There was a moment of silence. They both looked at each other intensely.
“I apologize. I feed myself, and Haru as well. I am usually the person who cooks as mom and dad are often gone.” He figured that he may as well be honest.
“Yuichi, I consider your skills very useful to both our clan and our village. Your physical and mental health are at risk. I want to help you.”
“Sure,” said Yuichi. He didn’t really believe the man. Just another person who wanted him to be a cold, calculating shinobi.
“I’ve heard that you were mostly left alone in the house up until Haru was born, is that correct.”
“Yes.”
“Is it also true that she trained you as a shinobi from the time you were four?”
“Yes.”
“And that she forced you to kill small animals?”
Yuichi felt compelled not to answer the last question. He made some kind of audible sound, though, and Tetsuya picked up on it.
“I take it that’s a yes.”
“Yes.”

"How long have you been supplying the food for you and Haru?"
"Since I became a genin and could earn money."
"Is this a voluntary thing?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, do you have to to survive? Do your parents provide food if you do not?"
"They did before I started paying for it myself, so I don't see why they couldn't do it. I believe it is a discipline thing."
"Well, your obviously malnourished. So what you just, like, don't eat?""
"I eat when Haru eats."
"Do you eat the same amount?"
The answer was no, but Yuichi knew better than to give that answer.
"I talked to Haru already, Yuichi. I know the truth."
"What is this an intervention?"
"Your ten year old brother weighs more than you Yuichi, and you parents don't even care."
"They care that's why they worked so hard to make me a shinobi."
He seemed to look more and more nervous until he spit out:
"Alright, Yuichi, I'll be honest with you. I came to take Haru away somewhere safer."
There was a long pause. All Yuichi could say was, "what?"
"This is not a good environment for a boy to grow up in. We have talked about it and he will be living with you uncle."
"That's not so bad," Yuichi said. "So what about me? Am I just independent then?"
"Well, no, not exactly. Normally, because your sixteen, we would just let you decide what to do. We want to do what was best for you and we have decided that you are incapable of caring for yourself."
"Meaning?"
"We will be placing you involuntarily in an institution that will take care of you. You will be able to leave to do missions, so you can continue your career while they work on your weight and building independence."
"I know how to take care of myself."
"I was led to believe you would not resist."
"How did you find all this out."
"Kuro Hyuuga saw how skinny you were, and he used his byakugon to determine that your health was seriously at risk."
"So now I'm being put in the loony bin?"
"You can take your stuffed animals."
Yuichi sighed. The was no point in resisting. He could run, but he would still have to go at some point. Unless he fled the village or something. "Fine. I'll get Donut."

[Exit]