Disclaimer: I'm so broke I can barely afford to buy myself Jack in the Box. What in the world makes you think that I'm going to be able to claim rights to Tales of Symphonia?

Authors' Note: Once again, one of the many, many fics that have been on my deviantART and yet not on my FF.N, though that's all changing now. Let it be known that I love Kuchinawa and the relationship he has with Orochi – the relationship that we didn't get to see in the game. I don't think it specifically states their age difference anywhere, yet I've always taken Kuchinawa to be the older brother. If this is wrong, I'm sorry, but that's how I see it. For this reason, I imagine Kuchinawa took care of Orochi after their parents died, and that that's what helped foster his hatred and bitterness toward Sheena.

The memorial shrine is a part of Japanese culture, you can Wikipedia it if you're curious. Rice is also a staple of Japanese breakfast, and since Mizuho is so Japanese-oriented, I figured it was appropriate.

If you read, please review!

One Thought

Father, Mother, it has been six years since that day.

Kuchinawa sat with his head bowed at the memorial shrine placed in his home for his parents, paying his respects just as he did every morning. He woke up especially earlier to perform his respects, long before Orochi arose for the day, because he didn't want to upset his little brother. Now that Orochi was eleven, Kuchinawa guessed that it wouldn't upset him quite as much, but when they were both younger, Kuchinawa had been afraid that any reference to their parents' deaths would cause Orochi to break down. After all, once it had finally sunk in that their parents were dead, Orochi hadn't been able to hold back his tears, despite trying to act strong like his older brother. Kuchinawa, of course, wasn't quite as strong as Orochi believed, but he'd found ways to channel his emotions into other pursuits, at least for long enough to allow him to keep his eyes dry for Orochi's sake.

Standing up, Kuchinawa closed the doors to the shrine, letting out a brief sigh before he moved onto the kitchen to make breakfast. It would be the same thing they ate nearly every morning; rice, perhaps with some egg thrown in, if they had any. It was all Kuchinawa knew how to make when their parents passed, and even though he knew how to cook other things now, Orochi claimed that he'd grown to love having rice for breakfast, and that he didn't want anything else. Kuchinawa grinned wryly at the thought; he was positive that Orochi only wanted to please his older brother, but still, there was very little that Kuchinawa would deny his younger sibling.

After their parents were murdered by Volt, Kuchinawa had taken on the task of caring for Orochi, despite the fact that Kuchinawa himself was only seven at the time. Other villagers had helped care for the boys as much as they could - donating food and often checking in to see how they were doing - but Kuchinawa had done his best to keep them out, going so far as to lock all of the doors and windows before bed. He knew it was foolish of him, especially since he could only cook rice when he was seven and he didn't know the first thing about raising his baby brother, but he didn't want to get close to anyone again - didn't want to take the risk of accepting another parental figure, only to have them snatched away. Besides, Kuchinawa wanted Orochi to be able to trust him; he wanted Orochi to come to rely on his big brother, to love his big brother, so that Orochi would have a constant in his life. Kuchinawa would never abandon Orochi - he was sure of that. He just wanted Orochi to be able to believe it as well.

As Kuchinawa predicted, Orochi awoke just as the rice was finished cooking, and he entered the kitchen with his sleepy morning-smile in place. Taking his bowl, he took a seat by the table, murmuring a short thanks before he began to dig into his bowl of rice faster than a famished dog. Kuchinawa raised an eyebrow, yet then shook his head and gathered his own rice, sitting down opposite his brother.

"Slow down," he chastised, though his tone was slightly amused. "You're going to give yourself a stomachache."

"Mmnaagh!" Orochi replied, though his mouth was stuffed so full that his words came out as nothing more than a muffled protest. Kuchinawa made a face, adding, "And don't talk with your mouth fu - "

A knock at the front door interrupted him, and though Kuchinawa merely looked up toward it, Orochi swallowed his mouthful of rice and bounded up, bolting to the door with all the energy of an excited puppy. Kuchinawa sighed, and was about to return to his own breakfast when Orochi's energetic voice made him stop cold.

"Hi, Sheena! What're you doing here so early?"

Sheena Fujibayashi. Kuchinawa's entire body was still save for his hands; his right hand tightened around his chopsticks so hard they almost broke, whereas his right coiled into a fist around his pant leg. Knowing now that Sheena was the one at the door, Kuchinawa didn't trust himself to rise from his position - could barely trust himself to breathe for the rage that was coursing through his body. Sheena was the reason that his parents were dead. Sheena, the only citizen in Mizuho who wasn't a native resident, who was supposedly gifted with the ability of summoning, who had failed to form a pact with a summon spirit, resulting in the deaths of his parents. Sheena was the reason that Kuchinawa had to raise Orochi by himself, the reason that he had to listen night after night as Orochi secretly cried himself to sleep. The reason why Kuchinawa had to awaken before dawn to pay his respects to his parents before cooking breakfast for himself and his little brother. Sheena was the reason that Kuchinawa had to be an adult before he'd learned to be a kid, and for that - for that, along with the pain that Orochi suffered - Kuchinawa could not forgive her.

"Oh, hey, Orochi," he heard her say, and he grit his teeth, his grip becoming even tighter. How dare she say Orochi's name, after she stole away his parents? How dare she even knock upon their door? "Uh, Tiga's going to be showing everyone some new illusion arts, and I was wondering if you and Kuchinawa would be interested in coming."

"Really? That sounds cool! I always want to improve my skills." Orochi's voice sounded as chipper as ever, for he had no idea of the rage that was currently simmering in Kuchinawa, the steadily growing anger that had been festering from the first moment the news of his parents' deaths had been placed upon his ears. "Hey, Kuchinawa! Did you hear that? Do you want to come?"

It took a moment for Kuchinawa to be able to answer. Closing his eyes, he found one thing and clung to it - held fast as though it was the only stability he had in a raging sea. It was the one thought that managed to get him through the hardest months - the months right after his parents had been lost in Volt's attack - without tears. The single thought that allowed him to force a smile on his face and be strong for Orochi's sake. It was the one thought that allowed him to be able to stand there and lie every day, to be able to pretend that he forgave Sheena for what she did, even though he hated her with every bit of his being.

Opening his eyes once more, Kuchinawa called, "Of course I'll be there! I'll never become the strongest ninja in Mizuho if I don't attend all the lessons." And I will be the strongest. Stronger than Sheena could ever be.

"See, Sheena? We'll both be there," Kuchinawa heard Orochi reply, and he heard Sheena's responding laugh. Kuchinawa took another deep breath, closing his eyes again, never once releasing his vice-like grip upon his chopsticks or pant leg. Once more, he reached out to grasp his singular thought, holding the glimmering gemstone and tossing out all other distracting thoughts and images. There was only one thing that mattered, after all.

Kuchinawa would become the strongest ninja that Mizuho had ever seen. Along with raising his little brother, Kuchinawa would hone his skills, and with them, he would fight. One day, he would fight Sheena Fujibayashi. One day, he would overpower, and defeat her. One day, Kuchinawa would punish Sheena - punish her for the death of his parents, punish her for every night that Orochi cried himself to sleep, punish her for stealing the best parts of Kuchinawa's childhood - punish her for every day that she skipped around the village as if nothing had ever happened.

Orochi came back into the kitchen, plopping down to finish off the rest of his rice. Kuchinawa opened his eyes, finally loosening his grip, and ate his rice despite the fact that it was now cold and his appetite had vanished the instant he discovered it was Sheena at the door.

Kuchinawa would stay strong. He had to stay strong. For Orochi's sake, as well as his own. But it was not a fight that he would lose, for the idea of revenge - consistently growing and thriving within him - would give him enough strength to continue on each day, caring for and keeping Orochi alive while lying to and plotting Sheena's demise.