Hey guys! Welcome to the first edition to the little side story type thing for Blinding Lights! This is where I plan to put some of the stuff that didn't quite make the cut in the main story. Maybe some missions with Team Kenta, other points of view in my favorite scenes that I've written. I'd also like to say that if you have anything you'd like to see, I'd love to hear about it! Who knows, I may even be able to do the idea some justice and it could end up here! Anyway, this first little bit is the start of one of my favorite dynamics in the story. The Shikaku-Minako stuff. I know that I didn't do so hot writing as Shikaku here, but I tried! I may come back to it at some point, but for now here it is!
I hear the quiet footfalls from Minako Uchiha before I detect her chakra coming closer which is something that I still haven't been able to get used to. It has been three days since the Uchiha clan was massacred and while her brother remains in bed, she is not. She knocks quietly on the door.
"Come in." I say and the door slides open. She stares at me with wide, deep eyes…full of intelligence. "Yes, Minako, what can I do for you?"
"I just wanted to talk with you about school." She says and I nod, gesturing for her to sit down on the couch situated behind my desk. She goes over and sits as I turn my chair to face her.
"I've personally spoken with Iruka-sensei and he has no problems with the two of you taking as much time as you need." I say, trying to reassure the girl. I know that Fugaku Uchiha was rigid in their perfection.
"Thank you, but we would like to go back on Monday." She says and I contain my shock. "It will be best for us if we try to get back into some sort of normalcy. So that we can try to take our minds off of it." She tries for a smile and it comes out as more of a grimace…but it could almost be convincing. She must be practicing. "Honestly I would like to go back as early as tomorrow, but I understand that you and Iruka-sensei may not see that as very wise…and Sasuke is nowhere near ready to go back just yet."
"But he will be by Monday?" I ask and she nods once. "I don't think that it's a very good idea to try and force yourself back into normalcy." I see her shoulders slump ever so slightly in disappointment. "But I won't make my decision just yet. We'll see how things are on Saturday, does that sound fair?"
"Yes, sir." She says, bowing her head. "Shikaku?" She looks up at me again. "How…how do you move on from something like this without forcing yourself to forget about it?" I'm shocked by her question, but only because she has been keeping it together. I haven't seen or heard her shed one single tear.
"I won't pretend to understand exactly what you're going through…but I have lived through a couple of wars now." I say and she nods. "I cope with the loss of life by looking back on fond memories…allowing myself to remember my comrades for the people they were and be thankful for the time that I had with them. Your wounds…they're fresh, but with time they will heal…I doubt that it'll ever stop hurting, but you'll become stronger and you'll be able to bear it."
"How do you cope with betrayal?" She asks and at this, her eyes fill with tears. They don't spill over, she has careful control over that. "He…he…" She takes a shuddering breath. I wait patiently. "He promised that he would always protect me…that he would do anything to make sure that I was able to accomplish my dreams..."
"It's okay to cry, Minako." I say and she shakes her head. "And why not?" She looks up at me, tears threatening to fall.
"Because if I start crying, then I'm afraid that I'll never stop." Her voice is a haunted whisper. I'm glad that she feels that she can confide in me like this. "I'm not strong, but I have to be."
"When you cry that doesn't show a lack of strength. It shows that you are human…that you feel and that is okay." I say, hoping that coming from someone like me that will mean something to her. She closes her eyes and some of the tears that she'd been holding back slip down her cheeks. She quickly wipes them away. "I have an idea. Shikamaru will be home from school soon and Yoshino should have a snack ready. Why don't we go and see?"
"Okay." She says softly. I stand up and open the door. She hops down from the couch and walks out. We walk towards the kitchen in silence. Shikamaru is home now.
"Mina…" He says and she jumps, unconsciously clutching at the hem of my flak jacket. She immediately lets go, seeming embarrassed. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."
"What? You didn't scare me." She says defensively and I smile. This is the first glimpse at the Minako Uchiha I've seen around before.
"Yeah, whatever." Shikamaru says, rolling his eyes. "Wanna grab a snack?" She hesitates for just a moment before she nods. The three of us enter the kitchen together and Yoshino raises her eyebrows at me.
"Will Sasuke be joining us for a snack today?" My wife asks as she carries two plates over to the table. Minako sits across from Shikamaru.
"No…he's resting right now. But thank you." She says, bowing her head respectfully. "He really appreciates you letting him take dinner in his room last night."
"Not at all." Yoshino says with a fond smile at the girl. "He's lucky to have a sister like you."
"That's what I always try to tell him." She says, trying for exasperated. "Between Mother and I, she always says that I'm the more rational…well said." Any animation that she'd gained slowly leaves her expression.
"Iruka-sensei made us spar today. It was a drag, but I know how much you like that stuff. So after our snack, do you want to maybe spar outside?" Shikamaru says, immediately going in for a distraction.
"Only if you're ready to get your butt kicked." She says, regaining some of that spark. It might be interesting to watch…
"I also might be able to show you a thing or two after your spar." I say and she looks up at me with wide eyes. How her father could ever stand to actually hit her…
"That would be pretty cool, Dad." Shikamaru says and I smile, nodding at them. "After that, I could show you my favorite cloud watching spot if you want." I hear Sasuke shout and Minako's head whips in that direction. She listens intently, muscles tensed to run to his side, but as nothing else comes from that direction, she slowly relaxes.
"We'll have to see how I'm feeling after our spar. I've been pretty lazy, so it might take quite a bit out of me." She says and I highly doubt it. She wants to stick close to Sasuke.
"Whatever." Shikamaru shrugs and takes a drink of his milk. She's sneaky about it, but she watches him…clearly suspicious. Yoshino makes eye contact with me and we move over to the kitchen portion of the dining area. It's loud enough that their ears won't pick up what we're talking about.
"She said that they want to go back to school on Monday. I told her that we would see where they were at on Saturday." I relay to my wife and she raises her eyebrows. "I know, but it might be what's best for them."
"I hope that you're keeping an extra close eye then." She says sharply. I know that she's just concerned for Minako. I still haven't shaken the image of her soaked in blood.
"Hey Dad, we're ready." Shikamaru says and I offer a smile to my wife before I return to the children.
"Well, I just want to check on Sasuke real fast before we do. It'll just take a second." Minako says as she climbs down from her chair. She goes to take her plate, but I collect them. "Oh, thank you." Her eyes are wide again, but she goes to check on her brother. Shikamaru brings his own plate into the kitchen.
"You'll keep an eye on her, won't you?" Yoshino asks him and he nods. "She wants to go back to school."
"She's crazy." He says and she gives him a severe look. "But I'll look after her." He holds his hands up in surrender. "She's my friend."
"Your friend." I say, putting emphasis on the word. He huffs and glares up at me. "All I'm saying is that you generally can't be bothered with anyone."
"She's just different, okay?" He says defensively and I chuckle, reaching to ruffle his hair but he ducks out of the way. "Don't be so annoying, Dad."
"He's sleeping now, we should be okay for a couple of hours at least." Minako says as she comes back in. "Yoshino, will you let me know if he wakes up while we're outside?"
"Of course." My wife says with a fond smile to the girl. "Go and train, everything will be fine." She smiles back and it's more genuine than the grimace from earlier. Just as I suspected. There's hope.