The tension in the house was still thick, but the moment Mark stormed out, a strange silence settled over the room. Debbie wiped away the tears that were still streaming down her face, and Nolan, his mind still spinning, turned away from the window. His thoughts were swirling, but there was no time to linger on his failure as a father. The situation was far from over, and there were bigger challenges ahead.
"Nolan," Debbie's voice broke through his thoughts. She stood at the door leading to the kitchen, her arms folded over her chest. She looked at him with a mix of exhaustion and uncertainty. "What do we do now? About them... about Naruto and Sasuke?"
Nolan exhaled, rubbing his face as he thought. The two boys, who had appeared out of nowhere and were now standing awkwardly in the living room, were still absorbing the gravity of the situation. Naruto, as always, was the first to speak.
"So, uh, this is Earth, huh? It's way different than I imagined," Naruto said, his usual energy filling the room, despite the tension. He grinned widely, looking around. "I mean, it's kind of cool. I bet there are a ton of strong people here! Is there anyone here who's as strong as me?"
Sasuke, on the other hand, said nothing. He simply watched the conversation unfold, his arms crossed and his gaze unreadable. His quiet demeanor stood in stark contrast to Naruto's lively chatter.
Debbie couldn't help but smile slightly at the dynamic between the two boys. "Well, we'll get you both settled in. I'll get some clothes for you." She walked toward the stairs. "You can stay here for the time being. I'll make sure you have what you need."
Nolan glanced at her, still deep in thought. "Thanks, Debbie. I'm going to head down to the basement for a bit. I need to move some things around."
As Debbie disappeared upstairs to grab clothes for the boys, Naruto's voice interrupted the silence again. "Hey, Sasuke! Wanna check out the kitchen with me? I bet we could make some awesome food!"
Sasuke just gave him a glance, his face still unreadable. "I'm not interested in cooking. But you can go ahead and mess up the kitchen all you want."
"Mess up the kitchen?" Naruto puffed his chest out. "I'll show you! I can cook just fine!"
Sasuke raised an eyebrow but said nothing further. Meanwhile, Debbie returned to the living room, holding up a couple of t-shirts and pants for Naruto and Sasuke. "Here, these should fit for now. I'll grab some other things later."
"Thanks, Mrs. Grayson!" Naruto said, taking the clothes eagerly. Sasuke nodded silently, his eyes flicking briefly to Debbie before he took the clothes as well.
Nolan headed for the basement, moving with purpose. There were boxes, crates, and various items stacked up in the area he had set aside for training. The room was already beginning to feel like a place of both preparation and isolation. He needed the space to train the boys, to give them the strength they would need to face what was coming. The basement was the perfect spot to start laying the groundwork, and he needed to move everything around to make room for them.
Debbie, meanwhile, busied herself in the kitchen. The air filled with the scent of dinner cooking, a small comfort in a home that had become anything but normal. Naruto had found his way into the kitchen, of course, attempting to help but already managing to make a mess of the ingredients.
"No, Naruto!" Sasuke said, almost exasperated. "You're supposed to chop the vegetables, not throw them all over the place!"
Debbie watched the scene with an amused smile. Despite everything that had happened, seeing the boys interact like this made her feel, for a brief moment, like things weren't completely falling apart. There was something endearing about the way Naruto's enthusiasm clashed with Sasuke's cold indifference. She found herself liking them more than she expected.
After a while, the meal was ready, and Debbie called for Nolan. "Dinner's ready, Nolan! I need your help to get everything set up."
Nolan, having finished arranging the basement, walked up the stairs to the kitchen. He glanced at the two boys, who were now seated at the table, Naruto looking pleased with his 'work' despite the chaos, while Sasuke sat with a quiet, almost amused expression.
"This place smells good," Nolan commented as he sat down, still not fully at ease. He glanced at Debbie, his thoughts lingering on the conversation earlier. "Thanks for taking care of everything."
"Of course," she said, her voice soft. "But I've been thinking... about where they should sleep."
Nolan frowned slightly. "They'll have to stay in the basement for now. It's the safest place for them to train. It's the most secure area in the house."
Debbie shook her head. "I know you're trying to protect them, Nolan, but they're still just kids. They've been through a lot, and I think they deserve a little more comfort. For tonight, at least. We can move them into the basement later."
Nolan hesitated. His initial instinct was to keep them close—keep them in a place where he could control their training and safety. But seeing how much Debbie was trying to hold onto some semblance of normalcy in the chaos, he relented.
"Alright, they can sleep in the guest room for now," Nolan agreed. "But it won't be long before we start their training. They need to get strong."
Debbie nodded, clearly relieved by the compromise. "Thank you, Nolan. I just don't want them to feel like prisoners here."
"Understood," Nolan muttered as he began serving himself dinner, still distracted. He looked over at Naruto and Sasuke, who were now quietly digging into their food. He knew it wasn't going to be easy to get them to the level of strength they needed, but he had a plan.
They'll have to be ready. We don't have much time.
As dinner continued, the house felt a little less empty, a little more like a home—even though everything was still so uncertain.
But Nolan couldn't shake the feeling that things were only going to get more complicated from here.