A/N: Maaa…I know I'm supposed to be writing the last chapter of Pain of Emotion, and trust me, it's in progress! But this plot bunny bounced, and I had to write it all out on PAPER first (around ten pages, double spaced) because it was 11:30 PM. Please read and review! Hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto in any way.
No One Ever Found Out
By Katako-Chan
People think I'm unaware, that I don't notice. People think that, other than my ninja senses on a mission; I'm blissfully unaware along with Gai-sensei in our springtime of youth. But I know people think this, all of them: Neji, Tenten, Naruto-kun, Sakura-san, all the other rookies, even Tsunade-sama.
People think that my mind is completely elsewhere, because I wear a youthful green training suit (that is extremely comfortable, flexible, and wonderfully breathable, mind you). People think that my youthful haircut blocks out all conversation to my ears, and that my large, beautiful eyes (with eyebrows worthy of only the Green Beast of Konoha) see nothing. People assume that I "Nice Guy Pose" at the air, at something that exists only in my "gone mind." But I don't. I see, hear, and notice it all.
I saw, after our first Chuunin Exam, how Neji slowly softened and spoke less and less about fate and destiny until he stopped completely.
But I saw people change for the worse, too. I saw how Sasuke grew darker, moodier, even more withdrawn than before. I saw his face contort with greed at the thought of power. I saw him go farther and farther away from us, his village, his friends, his teachers, until he cut all ties completely and became a merciless, cruel traitor.
----
"Sasuke-kun, are you okay?"
"Go away, you're annoying."
----
And then I saw her, oh, my beloved and beautiful Sakura-san! How she cried after Sasuke left. She hid it, yes, or at least tried, but anyone could see it. She'd been a tall, proud cherry tree in full blossom swaying in the breeze. But then the breeze turned into a fierce wind and changed her into a broken weeping willow, all of her youth devoted to sorrow.
Afterwards, though, I saw life move on, ninjas trained and became stronger, life wore into a steady routine. But as quickly as the youth faded out of life, it returned. Blossoms of youthful love sprung among us and sparks flew.
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"Yosh, Lee! We will now begin our morning exercises! With our springtime of youth, we will run two hundred laps around Konoha on our hands!"
"Yes, sir! And if I cannot do it, I will do three hundred push-ups. This I swear on my burning flame of youth!"
----
I listened and watched Temari and Ino yell and shriek at each other in the Academy one summer afternoon. And when Shikamaru complained too much, they gagged him and locked him up in a supply closet. I saw the way Neji gently cradled Tenten in his arms to keep her from falling into the watery depths and how he carefully asked, "Are you okay, Tenten?" I saw the way his cousin Hinata secretly admired Naruto, who was completely oblivious to the blossom of youthful love, but never noticed the way that Kiba was always less rough and less loud around her, even with the Byakugan. In that time, I saw more shy looks and brilliant blushes than I would in ten years after that.
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"You're loud, annoying, bossy, and troublesome!"
"Loud? Annoying? Bossy? Troublesome? Look who's talking, Temari!"
"Well, you know what, that name your friend Sakura calls you fits...Ino-pig."
"Maa...this is so troublesome, can you two stop already?"
"SHUT UP!"
----
But as time wore on and we grew stronger, we also became increasingly mortal in this war-based world. After the two years of growing love came the years spent sleeping in the hospital waiting rooms. Too many times I saw now seasoned comrades break down at a teammate suspended between life and death's bedside. I saw friends beg desperately in heartbroken voices for the dead to breathe once more. I saw the new names on the memorial stone: Sarutobi Asuma, Akimichi Chouza and Chouji, Inuzuka Hana. I saw family and friends leave funerals with broken spirits.
----
"Chouji! Come back, Chouji, s-stay with us! We're Ino-Shika-Chou, our team is incomplete w-without you...please, come back..."
"Ino's r-right, Chouji, we're a team, Team 10. Team 10 is a three-man c-cell, not two. Who's going to always believe in-in me?"
----
"Nee-chan! Nee-chan! No, nee-chan, you've got to stay with us! Who's going to look after the Haimaru Sankyodai? Who's going to be the village's most respected veterinarian? Nee-chan, s-stay...come back...please?"
----
The flame of youth burned a little brighter though when Naruto finally noticed Hinata and more so when Hinata succeeded as Head of the Clan and the two were married. But the Hyuuga Main house elders were determined to keep control over the Branch house and flat-out refused to allow Neji to marry Tenten, as the wilted flower of Team Gai informed when she thought I wasn't listening. I saw how Tenten tried to look overjoyed at Neji's arranged marriage, but looked completely broken long afterwards.
----
"I now present to you Uzumaki Naruto, and his wife, Uzumaki Hyuuga Hinata."
----
"As a member of the Branch house of the Hyuuga Clan, Neji, you are obligated to obey our commands. You are to marry the daughter of Usagamo Endo."
----
This generation's flame of youth seemed to then burn even brighter still when Kiba married a purple-haired kunoichi from his graduating class. And life still moved on. We all thought that the days of sleeping in the hospital were over, and life would become as normal as it could be for shinobi.
But then, just as our hopes were high, we went to war with Sound, and we now lived in the hospital waiting rooms. Names were added with a heart wrenching speed to the memorial stone: Jiraiya-sama, Nara Yoshino, Shiranui Genma, Hagane Kotetsu, Kamizuki Izumo, Konohamaru, Ebisu, Yamanaka Inoichi, Inuzuka Tsume, Aburame Shibi, Yamashiro Aoba, Umino Iruka, Uzuki Yugao, Sai, and Hyuugas with such similar names they became nameless, white-eyed comrades. So many more died in the hospital recovering, the tiles in their rooms stained crimson with blood.
----
"Daddy, why did you go t-too? Daddy, will you please come back, p-p-please? Your little princess is asking you, Daddy...please..."
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"Aww, c'mon, Ero-sennin, who am I going to practice my Sexy no Jutsu on? N-nobody else falls for it anymore, except you...you did."
----
"Iruka-sensei, who's going to treat me to ramen n-now?"
----
"On this day, we honor brave members of our clan who fell. Hyuugas who defended their village, their Hokage, their honor, and their clan. Hyuugas who fell so that the next generation may prosper. Let us have a moment of silence to honor them."
----
Isn't it strange that the Hyuugas, so silent and stoic, have only more silence to honor their dead, and not youthful tears?
And now I lie here, alone in a forest, the strain of opening gates taking over my no longer youthful body. No one ever found out that I saw, that I heard, that I noticed. But as I see my friends and comrades flash before me, I relive carefree memories, and will die amidst the fiery optimistic passion of our past springtime of youth.
Ending Note: Ahaha, did you expect me to kill so many people? I killed…-counts- 18+ people (because there was no specific count on the number of Hyuugas killed). Ehehehe, the purple-haired kunoichi, is my onee-sama Kaoru, who is also paired with Kiba in Spring Blossoms. Please, please review! Happy, youthful squishy pillows to whoever does!