Summary: In a world where Sakura died before ever becoming the beautiful flower she was born to be, will her twin brother be given the chance? Or like all Harunos', is he destined to be but a wilted flower?
Warning: The shinobi world is a dark, dangerous, and tragic place filled with angst, sadness, and pain. As such, this work of fiction will mirror that. If you are uncomfortable with these types of mature themes, including those of a possibly sexual nature, please turn back. I do not know what the future of this story holds, but I will not hold back my creativity. This is your one and only warning.
Disclaimer: I do not own, nor do I profit off of the Naruto franchise. That honor belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I just write fanfiction for my own enjoyment and fulfillment.
A/N: Hello everyone! This is a rewrite of 'Blossom in Your Wake'. Pairings are currently undecided, but be warned, Tsubaki is canonically homosexual in this work. If anyone is interested in beta-reading for me, feel free to shoot a pm my way. Chapters should be between 1 to 10k per update and should occur every other week on Friday. Now that my spiel is over, enjoy!
I like ramen. Thoughts
"I like ramen". Spoken words
Chapter One: Death is not the opposite of life, but simply a part of it
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There are three universal truths that govern this world. First, for every end, there must be a beginning. Second, for every action, there must be an equal and opposite reaction. And third, people are only truly missed once they're gone. It is these three universal truths that bind people to one another and form natural law.
For a funeral, the weather really could not have been any better. It was late spring, a time where, at least in the village of Konoha, the land was known for spells of either mugginess, or the occasional thunderstorm. Luckily for all the funeral goers, on this day, the gods must have been smiling down on the denizens as the weather was more the former than the latter.
However, for one mourner, this was not the case. Tsubaki, the fraternal twin of the late Sakura, did not see things quite the same. He missed and even desired the rain. You see, rain is both a blessing and a curse. It is a blessing because it hides the tears and sorrows of mourners in its wake. It is a curse because, had his sister been watching from some cloud up above, she may have gotten it into her overly large forehead that people didn't care about her demise.
As the funeral came to a close, people lined up one-by-one to say their final goodbyes. It's funny that how in a world so touched by death, a species so adaptable still hasn't adapted to the one constant in the entirety of their existence-death.
People lined the left side of the casket as they poked and prodded at the young girl, whispering false praises and offering procured tears.
In the crowd, a young pink-haired boy clenched his pale fists tightly. Blood spilled down from where untrimmed nails broke delicate skin and onto the earth. He did not understand how so many people, most of whom barely knew Sakura's name, let alone the rest of the family, could spill tears for a life they barely knew.
Frankly, it angered him. What right did these people have to mourn for her? He knew that she would neither want, nor did she deserve those tears. She would have wanted laughs, and for the memory of her not to be a sad one, but the beginning of something greater.
At least, that's what Tsubaki kept telling himself. He knew that none of the people here really mattered to his sister. Girls like her were obsessed with one thing, and one thing only; boys.
As sharp emerald eyes scanned around the clearing, he couldn't help but noticed that the raven-haired object of her affections didn't seem to be present. Figures that the remaining Uchiha wouldn't show up. It's not like he cared for her anyway, not that he really had any reason to besides the fact that they would have been siblings in arms had she lived to graduate from the academy.
Gritting his teeth angrily, the pinkette wiped bloody hands onto the maemigoro of his obsidian-colored kimono, internally wincing at the impending ear-lashing he would undoubtedly receive from his already agitated mother.
It was in that moment that a flash of golden-yellow caught his eye, dragging his attention to a small whiskered boy. He knew that boy. He was about a year older than himself. A fellow student in his class. However, he couldn't remember much about him, not even his name.
It's Fish something, right? Wonder what type of person names their kid after an animal.
Other than his name, or lack thereof, Tsubaki really didn't know very much about the other boy. He knew that he liked to pull pranks. Although the only reason he even knew that was because those pranks were generally the reason Iruka-sensei would get angry and assign them all extra homework.
He also knew that for some inexplicable reason the other villagers had a tendency to ignore him if not outright bully the blond. When he had tried to ask once, his mother had gotten a dark look on her face and told him not to associate with 'that monster'. From then on, he unlike his sister who antagonized the poor kid for having a crush on her, left him alone. He honestly couldn't remember if they'd even exchanged more than a couple greetings together.
Shaking his head to stop his musings, Tsubaki continued to watch who he had officially dubbed 'Fish Boy' approach the coffin. The mortician standing by glared at him and took a few steps back, giving him a wide berth. Fish boy didn't even seem to notice as he approached.
One would think that the gaudy orange apparel he chose to wear on a daily basis would be the very thing that attracted Tsubaki's attention. However, it wasn't that. Unlike everyone else who chose to attend, Fish boy had a small, yet still painstakingly obvious smile on his face.
Sakura had been so cruel to him. It is a wonder how Naruto could stand to smile at someone who treated him so poorly.
The blond stared at her, face still frozen in a smile. It was as if he were in his own world. Just the two of them. From an outsider's view looking in, one may have guessed she was just sleeping, and he an innocent bystander captivated by her.
Suddenly, Fish Boy jolted, hastily reaching into the open side of his jacket and pulled out a small object. Clutching it loosely in his hand, he reached out and placed it into the coffin.
Tsubaki stood on the tips of his toes, trying to get a good look inside but he just couldn't see over the looming walls of the casket. Grumbling to himself, he took a quick step forward before a lightly tanned arm reached out, clasping his pale one in large hands.
Stopping in his tracks, Tsubaki looked over, about ready to give whoever had grabbed him a taste of his kunai. He stopped abruptly, when his father's teary eyes looked down on him. Shaking his head, his father gently pulled on his arm before letting go and walking off. Tearful wife trailing behind him.
No words needed to be said. Tsubaki understood the silent, yet obvious command and followed.
As the trio walked away from the populated clearing and into the woods back towards Konoha, a strong gust of wind smacked into them. Making them all shiver.
Tsubaki turned around, his last look at the casket before never seeing his twin again when he noticed a small pink object flying out of the casket and into the wind.
Squinting to get a better look, he recognized the object. It was Sakura's namesake. Ironically enough, just like Sakura, the blossom never got a chance to bloom.
Taking one final look at the floating blossom, Tsubaki stalked off after his parents, not noticing an oddly serious pair of cerulean eyes trailing after him.
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Silence preceded the trio as they arrived at their home.
The house was humble, to say the least. It was a small, home lavished with peeling yellow paint. Plants were artfully placed around the home to hide the fact that it was falling apart at the seams. To most, the home would not be their first pick. To the occupants, however, the peeling paint, creaky floorboards, and homely scent spoke of largely happy memories of better days gone.
Mebuki Haruno, the twins' mother, approached the door first. Placing her hand above the handle, she pushed a small amount of her chakra into the door. Recognizing her signature, a faint 'click' could be heard as the door was unlocked and pushed open.
The blond woman walked in, not bothering to remove her shoes in her grief or even the out layer of her obsidian-coloured kimono. Grasping her pink-haired husband's hand in her calloused ones, the duo disappeared down the plainly decorated hallway, and into to the double doors that led to the master bedroom.
Tsubaki watched the two go, a small frown on his face. He didn't like the fact that his parents avoided talking to him on the long walk home. He also didn't like the fact that they both resolutely refused to look at him. He knew that he look quite a lot like Sakura had-they were twins for fucks sakes-but he didn't think the resemblance would warrant being so disregarded.
It's funny, I used to want to be left alone by my mother-hen of parents, but now? Now, I just want them to take a single look at me. He thought to himself.
Sighing to himself, the pink-haired boy took of his geta at the entryway, leaving them neatly against the wall along with the other shoes before padding down the hall where the staircase sat besides his parent's room.
The upstairs, much like the downstairs, was fairly plain. The only decor that was up consisted of a mirror above a small shrine with pictures of their deceased grandparents, some knicknacks from his and Sakura's early childhood, and a few other pictures of relatives next to an eclectic array of varying artworks.
So maybe plain wasn't exactly the correct word to describe their family home. Ordinary seemed to be far more fitting.
At least, ordinary for a civilian family. Tsubaki let loose a sardonic chuckle at the thought.
They weren't exactly a 'civilian' family. Their father, Kizashi, was a ninja. A Genin, but still a ninja. Although he wasn't active. He had met their mother when he was young, fell in love, had them, and never really had the time to worry about moving up in rank. That coupled with the fact that he had failed the Chunin exam no less than six times pretty much solidified the fact that he would live as a civilian.
He and his mother had opened up a small bakery in center of town. Mebuki, when she wasn't making her famous pastries, was helping out the Allied Mother's Force of Konoha. If Tsubaki was being honest with himself, he wasn't really sure what they did though, and he really didn't have any inclination to figure it out.
So no, they weren't civilians in the traditional sense, but when the kids weren't at the academy, they pretended to be for the most part.
Shaking his head, Tsubaki continued to walk up the stairs and across the hall. However, he stopped when he reached the mirror.
He reached back, fingering his long-pink locks that were tied at the nape of his neck . They really did remind him of his sister's hair. He then reached up and pulled at the skin around his eyes.
The exact same shade.He noted, somewhat mockingly.
Sneering in disgust, he turned around on his heel, stomping into the room on the left, clearly marked 'TSUBAKI'S ROOM' in all capitals, and entered.
His room was quite abnormal for the average twelve year old boy. But he, belonging to the some twenty percent of Konoha who were ninja, could never be labeled as 'average' anyway, so he never felt subconscious about it.
After all, how could they be? Most of them were recluse, though he supposed a lifetime of death, destruction, and pain would do that to any sane individual.
Tsubaking chuckled loudly to himself in the sunlight lit room. As if any of us are sane.
Other than being clean to the point of hinting at possible obsession, the room was sparsely decorated. The closet, if one cared to open it, had a small dresser inside which held the the small amount of things that weren't already hung up, colour coordinated, in a neat line.
A small bed lie in the corner by the window, with a single green pillow and matching blankets. The only thing that may have counted as decoration, were the scrolls that lined the only other object in the room besides a small chest on the adjacent side in which he stored his weapons, his bookshelf.
For a ninja, this was pretty standard, especially as one started to get promoted through the ranks.
Their homes were just places to go between missions, just like how their bodies were just tools. Honestly, the point at which this really changed was when, if you survived long enough, you retired at the ripe old age of thirty-fiveish and decided to settle down with a family.
Making his way over to the bed, Tsubaki lie down, kimono and and all. Closing his eyes, he let the sweet hands of oblivion guide him to sleep.
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The tell-tale sound of footsteps awoke Tsubaki from his light slumber.
Rule One of the Ninja Code Vol. 2: Sleep Light, and Stay Alert.
If there was one rule the pinkette followed religiously, disregarding the fact that he followed all rules religiously, it was this one. The only time a good ninja got a deep sleep was when he was dead. Tsubaki truly took this mentality to heart, even within the 'safe' walls of Konoha.
The footsteps were light and uneven. He distinctly recognized them as his mother's. He wasn't sure when exactly she had acquired that odd, hobbled gait of hers, but it wasn't his business, so he had never asked. He thought it would have been rude to even if she was his own mother.
It was sort of an unspoken rule within the ninja community. Don't ask, don't tell. They were kind of touchy about their scars. After all, scars are but a story of one's life and most ninja, didn't want to play that game of show and tell.
Ah, Tsubaki sure did like his rules. They just made life so much damn simpler.
Tsubaki continued to listen to the footsteps. He wondered why she would be upstairs. The only rooms upstairs were his, his sister's, and a small storage room where they kept things that their pack-rat of a mother didn't want to throw away because they 'might be useful one day'.
The only reason he could think of for her being up here was that maybe she wanted to go cry in Sakura's old room, or maybe throw out her stuff. Frankly, the former was more plausible than the latter considering it seemed to be quite late at night.
Tsubaki continued to listen as the footsteps got louder, signaling her walking in his direction.
He decided to feign sleep as the footsteps stopped outside of his door. He would pretend, and wait and see what his mother wanted.
The old oak door creaked open slowly, and he could hear the slight pants Mebuki made as she crept into the dark room. Her breaths sounded like she had ran a marathon, but he knew that she hadn't. He would have known if she left the house. The chakra network connected to the lock would have alerted all the occupants of the house who were attached to it.
Mebuki made her way to the bed, footsteps and panting growing ever lounder. He knew that because she wasn't a Kunoichi, he could continue to feign sleep and she would be none the wiser, so he continued to do so. Still, he couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy at the fact that she was invading his personal area.
Suddenly, she let out a choked sob. He knew that she was trying to stifle it with her hand when the sound became muffled.
She then, slipped down onto her knees on the hardwood floor with a resounding "thud". He wondered if his father was now awake. Afterall, he was still a ninja he Tsubaki thought that even he, the Genin of 13 some-odd years would still remember Rule One of the Ninja Code Vol. 2. After all, Tsubaki would never forget. He would follow all of them to the letter if it absolutely killed him.
A few moments passed and the only sounds he could hear were the muffled sobs his mother made next to him. It was in this moment that he knew his father had forgotten the rule.
Tsubaki inwardly sighed to himself at this realization. Tch, dumbass.
A pregnant pause took over the room as Mebuki slowly gathered her wits and rose up tall on her knees. He could hear the sound of rustling of clothes, as if she were reaching into her night dress for something. He knew that she had found it when he heard a sharp intake of breath and the faint scent of blood and iron filled the air.
Kunai. He thought to himself.
Being a civilian, it's no wonder she had cut herself on the sharp object. He himself had been sent home on a couple occasions after being seen by the nurse for a few particularly sharp gashes during Iruka-sensei's kunai knife and shuriken throwing classes.
Seriously though, whoever decided it was a bright idea to allow one Chunin to watch over thirty Genin with more weapons than there were them must have been on crack. But he kept these musings to himself. Besides, he liked those days. What kid didn't?
His thoughts were cut off by the sound of his mother's breath getting closer. He could feel the heat off her hand close to his throat and he could smell the melded iron of the kunai under his nose. It was in this moment he knew that this woman, this woman who had brought him into this world, wanted to take him out and he'd be damned if he let her.
Swiftly, she clutched the kunai tightly in her hand and pulled it back before swinging it a bit haphazardly (but he'd secretly give her props for trying) at his throat.
Tsubaki quickly rolled out of the way towards the window. The momentum caused Mebuki's kunai to stab straight into the pillow, right where his neck was nought but a few moments before.
The pinkette quickly sat up, before doing a back handspring off the bed, landing quietly crouched on both feet.
He said nothing as he stared at her. She looked puzzledly between him and the kunai knife repeatedly, as if questioning how she had missed. For a few moments nothing happened as she continued her ministrations.
Suddenly, she let go of the kunai before throwing herself down at the floor in a prostrated position. "Kill me", she said in a broken whisper.
Tsubaki stared at her for a moment. He wasn't wasn't quite sure what to do. None of the ninja handbooks had trained him for this. Not for being attacked by a Konoha civilian.
He continued to stare at her, tumultuous emotions carefully blanketed by a mask of indifference.
Mebuki raised her head, tears pouring down her face, smearing makeup all over her once pretty visage. "I said kill me, you bastard" she screamed, throwing all caution to the wind.
Tsubaki watched as she picked up the kunai and crawled toward him, seemingly dragging the lower half of her body in his direction.
"Please, Tsu-chan. Won't you listen to mommy", she asked once she rested, on her knees but a few inches away, kunai knife in hand.
Inwardly, Tsubaki shuddered at the use of his childhood nickname. But he knew, he had to be strong.
Rule Three of the Ninja Code Vol. 1. He thought to himself. Mask All Emotions, They Can Be Used Against You. Ninja Are But Tools To Serve The Greater Good.
Slowly, he reached down and grasped the kunai in a small, pale hand, face not betraying a single thought or emotion to his sobbing mother.
He raised the kunai up the air. His arm shook, the only thing that gave away the tumultuous emotional state Mebuki had caused.
With a speed only achievable for a ninja, he swung his arm down, missing the side of his mother's neck by but a hair's length.
Tsubaki quickly turned around on his heel and abruptly dashed out of the door taking a sharp right. In front of him lie a door which read, in all capital letters, 'SAKURA'S ROOM (the better twin)'.
He slammed open the door before shutting it and locking it.
For looking so similar, he and Sakura were complete polar opposites. They had the same furniture in their room which was also primarily in the same location. However, her room was a mess, with clothing scattered everywhere, bed unmade, nail polish spilt on the floor, and much more.
She also had an insane amount of decor...and pictures of a certain raven-haired Uchiha pinned up.
Disregarding this, he quickly ran over to the mirror. As he looked as his face, his mask fell. Tears poured down his face. He couldn't believe his own mother had tried to kill him. Furthermore, he couldn't believe she had begged him to kill her.
Using his free hand, he ripped the tie that held his hair back out. Pink locks fluttered onto his back. Still clutching the kunai knife in his hand, he slowly reach back.
A quiet 'shinkkkk' noise could be heard as he, in one swipe, cut off the long hair.
Looking at himself in the mirror, part of him felt relieved.
The other part of him though? That part had never felt so empty.
To most, cutting their hair would be just that. A slight trim, especially for most boys who didn't put the same amount of value on their hair like girls did.
But for him, he had just cut himself in two. Now, when he looked at himself in the mirror, he could no longer see a piece of Sakura in his reflection.
Now all he saw was a sobbing little boy.
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If there was one thing the whole ordeal had taught Tsubaki, it was that everyone wears a mask. Whether a physical or metaphorical one, it makes no difference. Both essentially serve the same basic function; to hide what no one wishes to be seen.
Clearly, his mother had been wearing a mask. The mask of a loving parent. He would give her props for creating such a lovely one, though. No one would have guessed that under it lie a monster just biding its time.
And now he was aware of his own mask. A once happy and energetic kid now cold and unfeeling. Well, maybe not unfeeling. But that's where the mask comes in. It helps to quell the internal hurricane wreaking havoc on his already fragile psyche.
You see, Tsubaki quite firmly believed that if you ignore something long enough, it just goes away. It just 'pops' into absolute nothingness. His ignorance had become the mask that hid his emotions and turned them into nothingness.
Of course, he knew this wasn't actually the case. But he sure did like to pretend that it was how things worked.
Besides, rule three of the Ninja Code Vol. 1. taught all young aspiring ninja to mask all emotions. So, if you ask him, by putting on a mask he's just doing what all good ninja do.
Walking down the old, creaky steps, he took a left straight into the dining room. The sight that greeted him was not a welcome one. In fact, what he saw almost felt surreal to the boy.
It reminded him of how life was before Sakura had gone and gotten herself killed. When life was fun and simple. When life was all sunshine and rainbows.
Of course, like all good things, it had to come to an end.
Figures that that end would have been so literal.
His father sat seiza at the table in his usual spot by the window. He always sat in the same spot because of its optimal position between both the window and the heater. Of course, he would never tell them that out loud, or risk his spot being taken.
Next to him lay a steaming cup of green tea and a fairly large bowl of porridge.
He took a moment to scent the air, expression still clearly masked. Ah, maple flavored. My favorite. He thought to himself, more than a little bit off put.
Tsubaki continued to stand in the doorway and watch, a blank look on his usual happy face.
Feeling the stare on himself, Kizashi smiled and waved his son over, not even bothering to look up from the Konohagakure Times newspaper he held in slightly chubby fingers.
Blindly reaching down, he picked up the cup of tea and took a long drink before setting it back down gently on the table.
At this point, Tsubaki had lived with Kizashi long enough not to question how the man had avoided burning himself, and frankly, he didn't really care.
Tsubaki padded over, dropping to his knees with a loud thud. He nodded to his father in greeting and waited for his mother to undoubtedly bring him his breakfast.
As if sensing his presence, the blonde poked her head around the corner where the kitchen was and smiled sweetly. "Good morning Tsu-chan", she said cheerily.
If Tsubaki thought it abnormal that his mother treated him so warmly after having attempted to kill him the night before, he said nothing and offered her a short nod in greeting.
Shrugging her shoulders gently at the odd response, she hummed at him in response before disappearing back into the kitchen, humming a happy little tune.
Hmm. So, it seemed she wanted to play happy little family. Tsubaki internally winced, still feeling a bit shaken up from last night's events. I guess I'll play along, but on my own terms.
He briefly wondered if he should say something to his father about last night's impromptu adventure but ultimately decided not to. After all, what was he supposed to say? Hey dad, mom tried to kill me last night. Oh yeah, and when she failed, she demanded her precious little Tsu-chan kill her. Funny story right?
Tsubaki chuckled sardonically under his breath. He was sure that that would definitely go over well. Yeah, definitely not.
Not really knowing what else to do about it, he decided to just pretend it never happened. Besides, if there is no rule written about it any of the Ninja Code volumes, it's not like I can do anything else anyway, right? He reasoned with himself. Well besides tell a Jounin-sensei...But I won't have one until I pass today.
The pinkette looked over at his father who he couldn't help but noticed still hadn't looked at him since the funeral. The man seemed fine, but Tsubaki knew he wasn't. The normally boisterous man hadn't been this silent since their neighbors came over with their dead cat in their arms.
Apparently the cat got in the way of their son's kunai practice.
If you were to ask Tsubaki, he'd say that the kid's kunai practice got in the way of their cat.
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he suddenly stood up from the table, knocking the hot cup of tea into Kizashi's lap.
Kizashi leapt up from the table, newspaper dropping into the increasing puddle of tea on the wooden floor.
It appeared to Tsubaki that their little game of happy family was over. That was fast. He thought to himself. Although he couldn't say that he was surprised in the least.
Face contorted in anger, he opened up his bearded mouth to yell at the boy before he abruptly stopped.
"You...", he trailed off. "You cut your hair."
It was in that moment that Mebuki stepped into the room, cup of hot tea in one hand, and a small bowl of porridge. She swiftly stopped mid-stride and stared at the pinkette.
A pregnant pause took over the room as both looked him over.
"What", he asked, bringing a hand up to swipe through newly trimmed locks. "Does it look bad?"
The monotony of his voice stunned both adults out of their stupor.
"Ano", the older pinkette began. "It's fine...It's just…."Kizashi trailed off before clearing his throat and bending over to pick the newspaper up off the ground.
A few silent moments passed and it was clear that Kizashi wasn't going to finish his sentence.
Tsubaki sighed to himself, the first outward expression of any emotion this morning, and turned to leave. It seemed he was no longer interested in having breakfast before attending school.
He took a couple steps before stopping as a blood-curdling scream erupted from Mebuki. A loud 'CLASH' could be heard as the dishes feel from her hands and onto the well-worn floor.
A few hurried, albeit uneven, footsteps were all the notice Tsubaki got before his mother flung herself at him.
He quickly tuned as she lunged, latching her larger body onto his front. They both hit the floor with an audible 'THUD' as she raised a fist and swung.
Raising one hand, he caught her fist in it, stopping her first attack at his face. She then raised her second hand, balled it into a fist and aimed at his face.
Tsubaki raised his arm in front of his head to protect his face as his mother continued to pummel him.
Shaking himself out of his stupor, Kizashi dashed over, using chakra to enhance his speed. Wrapping a hand in the blonde's short hair, he gave a hard tug, effectively pulling the thrashing women off of the pinkette.
Tsubaki rolled over on his side, holding his face in his hands. She had managed to get a couple of hits in, causing his nose to leak a steady stream of blood.
Kizashing continued to drag the women by her hair, throwing her to the ground a few feet away before pouncing on top of her. He grabbed her by her shoulders and shook as hard as he could, tears leaking down his face.
Mebuki continued to scream and kick. "YOU KILLED MY DAUGHTER!", she yelled at the top of her lungs repeatedly.
"CALM DOWN WOMAN!", he screamed back as he continued to shake her in his tight grip.
Slowly pulling himself to his feet, he pinched the bridge of his nose. Pivoting quickly on his heel, he walked out of the dining room and straight to the door. Throwing on his standard blue sandals, he placed his hand on the door and pushed a bit of his chakra into it. The door unlocked with an audible 'click'. Throwing it open, he quickly walked outside, shutting it harshly behind him.
Gathering chakra to his feet, he began the short dash to the academy. Mouth strained in a tight line of indifference, he wondered what else could possibly go wrong today.
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Tsubaki walked into the classroom and swiftly stopped. All eyes were on him. He didn't want those eyes on him. Eyes full of pity.
He took a moment to center himself before walking to his usual seat by the window. He liked that seat because it was far enough away from Ino and Sakura's bickering over juvenile things that he could usually ignore it. He also liked to look outside when it rained. It calmed him.
Sitting down, he placed his chin on his fist. Quickly, he found himself lost in his thoughts as he sat staring out the window as he waited for class to start.
Unfortunately, he was pulled out of those thoughts when he heard footsteps approach his two-seater desk.
Ah yes, he remembered those eyes. The eyes of the so-called demon...or monster, depending on who you asked.
Cerulean eyes stared down at him, lacking the usual brightness they had to them. Those eyes reminded Tsubaki of a storm at sea. The darkening blue akin to the darkening of angry skies.
"Oi, seat taken?", fish boy asked voice portraying false brightness.
Tsubaki lifted his chin off his fist and gestured at the seat. "Not yet", he said tonelessly.
The blond placed a hand on the table, using it to support his weight as he propelled himself over it into the seat on the other side. Shifting his chair away a little bit, Tsubaki waited for the other boy to make himself comfortable.
Evidently, the boy thought sitting crouched at the end of the chair with dark eyes staring intently at him was the most comfortable position.
The pinkette inwardly shuddered. He did not like having eyes stare at him like that. He wasn't sure what the boy had wanted either. It's not like they were friends or anything.
Suddenly, fish boy opened his mouth and began to say something but was cut off by a certain Chunin entering his classroom.
"Alright kids! Today is the day you will all hopefully officially become Genin", he said jovially.
The entire class erupted in cheers as they all looked forward to becoming official ninja and getting their own headbands.
Well almost the entire class. Tsubaki continued to stare out the window, seemingly lost in memory lane while a certain fish boy continued to stare at him.
And, well, a certain raven-haired Uchiha didn't cheer either. He just glared at the table in front of him.
What a debbie-downer.Iruka thought to himself as he looked over at the other two silent students questioningly, not really sure what to make of their off behavior.
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Tsubaki stood stood on the heavily-trodden dirt path, a blank look on his face. He had failed the exam. He wasn't sure why he failed. Maybe it was because he knew his parents wouldn't be there to congratulate him. Maybe it was because he knew his sister wouldn't be there to graduate with him. Maybe it was because he kept being stared at by a certain blond.
The world may never know.
Eh, who was he kidding. He knew very well why he had failed. He failed because he no longer wanted to really be a ninja. He had no drive to perform the jutsu that he had done successfully over a thousand times. What reason did he have really? His sister wouldn't be there. He wouldn't have to train to protect her.
It wasn't a monetary issue either. He knew that he could always take over the family bakery instead if he needed to.
So he just didn't. They called him into the room. They told him to perform it, and he said "no". He then walked out. Simple as that, really.
Turning around, he continued to walk up the path when he felt a pair of eyes, once more on him. Sighing to himself, he walked over to the creepy blond.
Fish boy sat, swinging slowly on the swing under a large oak tree. Tsubaki couldn't help but notice that he too didn't have a ninja headband to wear.
"You know, you can quit it with the whole staring business", the pinkette said a bit irritatedly.
"Oh can I", fish boy asked mockingly. "Thanks mom".
Blue eyes hardened as Tsubaki flinched at the word 'mom'. Catching his slip, Tsubaki squared his shoulders and grunted.
Fish boy's eyes softened as he suddenly jumped off the swing and grabbed his pale hand in his tan one. "C'mon, let's get ramen", he said with a grin. "I'll even pay if you stop acting like the teme".
Tsubaki stared at the blond back and forth from face to conjoined hands.
If he were being honest with himself, his hand in his felt nice. Much better than the feeling of his mother's fists on his face did anyway. It was so warm in comparison to how cold he felt inside.
The pinkette opened his mouth to decline.
'GROWLLLLL'
Emerald eyes flashed open wide. An embarrassed blush coated his cheeks as he looked away frowning.
"C'mon!", Naruto shouted as he slowly dragged the pink-haired boy to the ramen shop.
With a final sigh, Tsubaki let himself be carted off with one thought on his mind.
Food.
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As the two approached the shop, hands still wrapped around each other's, he took a moment to take the place in. Ichiraku Ramen. Tsubaki read. The place looked quite nice for being so small. It almost seemed to have a homely vibe to it.
The shop seemed empty too, which was a huge bonus to the pinkette. The last thing on his mind at the moment was having to deal with other people who thought they were being nice by offering conversation when in reality, they were just distracting him from his objective- food.
Inside, he could see two people. The first was an older man. He had short white hair and wore the traditional cooking robes and hat. From his position, he could see that the man was smiling broadly, seemingly deep in conversation with the person next to him.
The girl next to him was also smiling broadly. She too wore the traditional white cooking robes that was common in the Land of Fire. While pretty in appearance, Tsubaki couldn't help but notice that she was still quite plain. Nothing about her screamed out at him with her plain brown hair and features.
Not like Sakura's hair did. He sulked internally. Really though, who was he kidding. Pink hair wasn't exactly common, even among ninja who had a penchant for odd colored hair.
He always thought it was funny that ninja were the ones with bright, oddly colored hair. You would think hair like his would get you killed considering it practically screamed 'NOTICE ME'.
Tsubaki internally shrugged at his musings. Probably a clan thing. While civilians can travel and do virtually anything they want. Being a ninja tends to run in the family. After all, hair color is hereditary...
A sharp tug at his hand brought him back to the present. He looked up from the patch of dirt he was staring quite fixated on into the warm smile of the blond. His grin, much like the sun, just seemed to get warmer the longer you stare into it.
"Still hungry, nee"? He asked cheerily.
Tsubaki nodded his head in affirmation, placing his free hand over to cover his rumbling stomach.
"Good"!
With that, Fish Boy continued to pull him towards the stall, gesturing for him to sit down on the stool closest to the wall.
As the two took their respective seats, the blond finally let go of his hand so that he could grab a menu from the pile in front of him. Sliding one off the top of the pile, he held it out for Tsubaki to take.
The pinkette reached out to take it from him before yanking it back and quickly thumbing through it. Fish boy laughed at him. "Jeez, you must really be hungry". He said with a sharp laugh.
Hearing the familiar laugh, the other two occupants turned around. "Ah, Naruto"! She said in a quite sing-song voice.
Huh, so that's Fish Boy's name. I was close. Tsubaki thought.
"Ayame-chan!" He greeted happily. "Teuchi-san"!
The old man nodded, a soft smile on his lips. "And who might your little friend be"? He asked.
"That's Tsubaki-san, he's my classmate"!
Teuchi and Ayame exchanged looks before she opened her mouth and asked. "Ano…he"?
Naruto nodded his head enthusiastically.
She then turned to look at Tsubaki. "I'm sorry...it's just that Tsubaki is a girl's name and the pink hair kinda just…".
Tsubaki looked over sharply at her, emotionless eyes turned into a harsh glare. "I am a male". He growled out quietly, emphasizing the word 'male'.
He then took a moment to look down at himself. He didn't think he looked like a girl. Yeah, his grey, short-sleeved top was a bit shapeless and of course there was the pink hair...But he cut it!
Tsubaki wrinkled his nose. I ooze masculinity. He thought. Maybe I should change the shirt though….
Naruto's boisterous laugh shook him from his thoughts. Kami, he knew that he needed to stay outside of his head. Or one day, his musings might just get him killed.
It was then that the most delicious scent was placed under his nose and he was thoroughly distracted. Emerald eyes closed as he let the delectable smells swarm his senses. A small smile graced his face.
Naruto looked over at him and grinned. He then looked over to the woman who had placed the bowl down in front of him. 'Thank's Ayame-Chan', he mouthed to her. She nodded with a smile before disappearing through the back door.
He then turned around and reached into his pocket, pulling out a toad-shaped wallet. He pulled a few yen out and went to hand it to the old man. He just shook his head and went to follow Ayame into the other room, successfully leaving the two to dine in peace.
He shrugged and put is wallet back.
Naruto reached over and grabbed a pair of chopsticks, cracking them in two with practiced ease. But before he went to take the first bite of his noodles, he looked over at his silent companion and stared.
Ah, there's the look I was waiting for. Naruto thought to himself.
While Naruto knew he wasn't the sharpest kunai in the pack when it came to schoolwork, he was quite intuitive when it came to reading other people. He had to be. In his short life, he had come to learn that rival ninjas weren't the biggest threat, but the civilians around him were and that reading them was the best way to stay out of danger.
Tsubaki and him never really talked in class. He had a thing for his sister briefly, but that ended when she started to hit him. He didn't like just how violent she was in general. He also wasn't fond of her obsession with her 'Sasuke-kun'. Ughhh. Her hair was nice though. It reminded him of candy.
Tsubaki though, he was always nice to everyone. He never went out of his way to be. But when approached, he could always be seen being courteous and smiling. He was reserved yet exuded energy at the same time. The pinkette was a puzzle that continued to baffle him.
If he were being honest with himself, the only reason Naruto had never approached him before was because he was afraid of him. Well, not of him, per say. But he was afraid of how the other boy would react to him, the demon, the monster.
You see, if Naruto ignored him, he could pretend at least one person in that classroom could see him for him, rather than some beast. So that's what he did.
That was, of course, until the funeral. Those eyes, eyes that used to be so welcoming and warm became dark and depressed. Conflicted even. Naruto secretly wondered what there was to be conflicted about. They were going to be Shinobi, death was just part of the job description.
Try as he might to rationalize it, he just couldn't help staring at the pinkette. The sadness in his eyes mirrored his own. The feeling of loss is like a universal language. Once you've experienced it, anyone else who has can read it on you.
Then, when he saw the boy at school, he couldn't help but stare more. He had cut his hair. He hadn't ever called another male pretty, but with Tsubaki, he might have made an exception.
The short hair just magnified his slim face, sharp nose, and pale features.
This….this kid….He may be a puzzle….but I'm gonna solve it...BELIEVE IT!
And with that thought he reached out, grabbing another pair of chopsticks and extended them to the pinkette.
"Nee, Tsubaki-san," he said cheerily, smile still on his lips. "Ready to eat".
Tsubaki looked up quickly, smile falling from his own lips. He noticed that the warmth dimmed in Naruto's eyes at this but decidedly said nothing.
"Yes," he said softly. "Thank you Naruto-san".
The boy placed the chopsticks in his hand then rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Eh, it's nothin'! Let's eat"!
And with that, the both of them dug into their ramen with vigour.
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People looked on with disdain at the duo as they strolled down the Konoha streets but both ignored the looks, too caught in their own respective thoughts. The cool air ruffled their hair and the pleasant scents in the air made the experience pleasurable for the both of them.
Tsubaki looked around, taking the sights in as they walked together, sleeves brushing with each step they took.
The companionable silence felt good, too good to be disrupted. Although he wondered why the blond prankster was so quiet. In class, the blond never really shut up. Hmm, maybe it's just an off day for him. He thought. Somehow, he didn't believe that though. There was just something in those eyes and in his demeanor that told another story.
After a few more minutes, they approached the swing where they had originally met earlier that day. Both stopped and looked at each other.
Tsubaki squared his shoulders, staring sharply at the blond before beginning "Th-"
"Thank you," Naruto said, completely cutting him off.
Tsubaki shut his mouth and shrugged, wrapping his arms around himself to shield his body from the cool night air.
"Well, I have to go now", Tsubaki said calmly. What he really wanted to do was go home and sleep. Well, not home, he wasn't sure if he would ever be able to sleep there again. At least, not while his mother slept under the same roof. But still, he did want to sleep.
Naruto took a step forward. The two were now less than a foot away from each other.
"Nee, Tsubaki-san," He said, voice oddly serious. "I want to show you something".
Tsubaki sharply shook his head. "It's late. My mother would killme if I wasn't home soon". If Naruto caught on to the way he strained the word 'kill' his face didn't show it.
"C'mon, it'll be quick. I promise".
Tsubaki sighed before waving a hand out in front of him. "Alright, lead the way then".
Naruto flashed him a bright grin before bounding off, pinkette in tow.
Sigh. How temperamental. Tsubaki thought.
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Ten minutes later, the two sat on top of the Hokage mountain, peering down on the sleepy village. Naruto sat laying back, arms extended behind him while Tsubaki sat with his legs and arms crossed.
"We're here, now what"? Tsubaki asked tiredly.
Naruto looked over at him. "Hmm"? He asked.
Tsubaki's eye twitched in irritation. "I said. We're here, now what"?
"Ah, well-," Naruto began before being cut off.
"Good evening, boys". A deep voice said from behind them.
Both boys hopped up, turning around, bodies poised for combat. However, when they saw who it was, they relaxed into a more neutral stance.
"I heard you guys failed the exam," Mizuki said, voice slightly mocking.
The two looked at each other and exchanged looks. "Did you need something, Sensei"? Tsubaki asked, tone a perfect mask of emotionlessness.
The white haired man looked over at him, a smirk on his face. "Heh, I just wanted to see if you two wanted a second chance. But since not…". He turned on his heel, starting to walk away. "I'll just be on my way-".
"Wait"! Tsubaki looked over at the blond. "You said second chance"? Naruto asked.
Mizuki turned around and walked up to them, stopping a few feet away. "Alright, here's the deal….".
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"F-fuck", Tsubaki grunted out as he fell to the forest ground.
Naruto chuckled and set the scroll down on the ground. "Need a break, Tsubaki-san"? He asked, only slightly out of breath.
The pinkette grunted and turned over.
Naruto shrugged and sat with his legs crossed, joining him on the ground. "Well, at least we have some down. It's too bad you're tired all ready," he said with a grin, poking fun at the other boy.
Tsubaki raised his head off the ground and shot him a glare, before dropping it back down. "N-not fair you hah-have such big chakra r-reserves", he panted out.
The blond grinned but otherwise said nothing as he continued to practice the hand seals depicted on the scroll.
Pat, pat, pat, pat
Naruto quickly rolled up the scroll before swinging it on to his back. He shot a hand down, grabbing Tsubaki by the scruff, flinging the other to his feet.
Tsubaki floundered a bit, grabbing onto the blond to steady himself. "What the f-"! He started before having a tan hand smashed over his mouth. He glared at the blond, when suddenly, he had an idea.
A pink tongue darted out of thin lips covering the hand in its path with saliva. Naruto quickly pulled his hand away and wiped it on his trousers. His nose wrinkled in disgust. "Ew dude! Listen"!
Both quieted as they strained to listen.
Pat, pat, pat, pat.
Footsteps. They thought in unison.
The two looked at each other and nodded in silent understanding.
Naruto pulled out a kunai before running over into a bush and hiding.
Tsubaki pulled out a kunai of his own before jumping high into the tree above him. Making himself comfortable, he peered down through the branches and held his breath.
Naruto popped out of the bushes at the sight of white hair and smiled. "Sensei"! He cheered. "Got the scroll! Done, nee"?
Mizuki put a hand out and nodded. "Hand it over".
Then, a kunai went spinning from seemingly nowhere. Mizuki pulled his hand back as quickly. The kunai had just barely nicked the tip, causing a small bead of blood to come to the surface.
The white-haired man pulled out three kunai of his own, hurling them in the direction the original had come from.
Suddenly, a man came barreling out of the bushes from the opposite direction. Naruto took a few steps back in surprise. Iruka-sensei! He thought.
Said Chunin grabbed onto Mizuki's middle, pinning him into place. "Naruto, run "! He yelled.
Naruto froze, looking up into the tree where Tsubaki was located. From his pinned position on the ground, Mizuki watched where the blond's eyes went. Gotcha. Mizuki thought.
Struggling against the Chunin, he managed to put his hand in the other's weapon pouch. Wrapping a hand around a stray shuriken. He quickly pulled it out, and flung it into the trees.
"GAHH"! Tsubaki screamed as the shuriken lodged into his right shoulder. It wasn't deep, but he knew he needed to seek medical attention if he didn't want to be out of commission for a while.
Naruto quickly jumped into the tree and grabbed Tsubaki. The movement jostled his shoulder, causing the boy to yelp. "Shit, sorry". He apologized, mouth drawn into a tight line.
Grabbing his hand tighter, he tugged and the two went dashing off into the forest towards Konoha.
Feeling their chakra signatures start to diminish, Mizuki renewed his struggles. Pulling a hand free, he pulled his fist back before letting in fly towards the Iruka's face.
The crunch was audible as the man went flying a few feet back. Blood gushed down his face and it was clear to both that his nose was obviously broken.
Mizuki quickly got to his feet before dashing towards the duo, Iruka followed.
A few moments passed, but finally, the duo could hear Mizuki following close behind. "Naruto"! He yelled. "Give me the scroll, you saw that crazy Chunin attack me! I have to get it to safety"!
Naruto looked behind him at Tsubaki, who was but a step behind him, hands still interlocked. "Tsu"? He asked.
The pinkette shook his head and the two continued their mad dash towards Konoha.
"Do you hear me demon? I told you to give it to me"! He demanded.
Tsubaki let go of Naruto's hand causing the other to look back at him confused.
"Go". The pinkette said, voice demanding. "I'll slow him down".
Naruto looked at him, an angry look on his face. "Are you insane! No"! He roared. "Y-you...I haven't known you long. But you're the only friend I've got and I'll be damned if-"!
SMACK.
Tsubaki panted loudly hand still raised. "I said go". He said calmly, eyes down cast. "Besides, you can finish your monologue after we get this scroll back safely….and treat me to Ramen".
Naruto's lips tightened in a straight line. "Fine. You better live dammit".
Tsubaki looked up at the blond and offered him a small smile. "I will", he said simply.
Naruto reached out and placed a tan hand on the other boy's chest as if trying to convince himself Tsubaki wasn't dead already. "You better", he growled out before continuing on his way.
Tsubaki halted his run, waiting for Mizuki to catch up. Walking over to a fallen log, he quickly henged it to look like the scroll. Swinging it on his back, he grunted under the weight of it. Ugh so heavy…
Reaching a hand up, he touched the shuriken lodged in his shoulder. Ok, ow, ow, ow. He flinched at the contact. Counting to three, he ripped it out, face scrunching up in pain.
Using his fingers, he gathered up blood before wiping some of it on his face and clothes. After a thought, he rubbed some of the blood in his hair. I hope this is enough…
Now for the fun part. He thought with a chuckle. Grabbing the shuriken in a tight grip, he rammed the iron weapon back into his shoulder.
Tsubaki grunted and almost fell to his knees in pain.
Looking around the area, he decided to sit on a stump to wait. After all, he didn't feel like his legs could hold him up for long.
A few moments passed and Mizuki broke into the clearing. Tsubaki clutched the 'scroll' tightly to his chest. "Mizuki-sensei," he panted. "I-I killed him, I saved the scroll".
A large grin took over Mizuki's face as he began to walk over to the pinkette. "Good job boy". He praised. "Who knew you'd turn out just like me".
Internally, tsubaki frowned. He would never be like this monster.
"I mean, it's a shame what happened really. You know, with Saku-chan….I heard you two were really close". The man neared closer. "Well, I suppose that's what happens when little girls meddle where they aren't wanted, nee"?
Try as he might, Tsubaki was not emotionless. As the words spilled from the man's mouth anger boiled within him, setting a blazing fire in his blood.
"You….", Tsubaki grunted out. No emotion, no emotion, no emotion."YOU SHUT YOUR MOUTH"!
Mizuki fake flinched. "Ooh touchy, are we?" He asked.
Suddenly the white-haired man turned, looking off into the bushes.
Placing his hands together, they flew into position faster than his untrained eyes could make out. "Earth Release: Pellet drill"!
Pieces of the earth began to levitate off the ground before banding together in small balls. Suddenly, they launched at an unknown target. A blood curdling scream could be heard that made the air catch in Tsubaki's throat.
So this is true power, eh? Terrifying. Tsubaki thought with a shudder.
"Well now that that's done", Mizuki said, training his dull eyes on his Emerald ones. "Give me the scroll".
Tsubaki pushed the scroll onto the ground, allowing it to roll to the other's feet.
Stopping it with his foot, Mizuki picked it up. "Hmmm", he said, studying it closely. Pulling out a kunai, he quickly stabbed it. With a 'poof' the henge was dispelled.
Tsubaki gulped loudly. Sooo, this is how I go. He thought. Guess I'm gonna have to rain check on the Ramen, Naruto.
Mizuki took a few menacing steps closer until the two were less than a few inches apart. "So the demon left you then, nee"? He crouched down so the two were at eye-level. Reaching out, he grasped Tsubaki's chin in hand. The pinkette gritted his teeth, struggling to get away.
"Where's my scroll, Tsu-ba-ki"? The way the man drew out his name made chills roll down the pinkette's spine. "I-I don't know"! He bit out.
"Tch," He bit out. "Useless brat".
Sliding his hand down from his chin, he dragged it down, passed his ear to his neck.
"Such a pretty little neck you have here," He ground out. "Shame I'm gonna have to crush it".
Suddenly, his other hand lashed out, gripping his neck in a vice-like hold.
Pain blossomed through Tsubaki. He had never felt anything like this before. He knew that dying on the field was kinda part of a ninja's job description, but he didn't realize it would happen so soon. Hell, he hadn't even graduated from the academy yet!
Soon, everything began to turn cold, and spots danced around his vision. He dimly wondered how his mother would react to his death. Would she be relieved? What about his father? This would probably destroy the usually boisterous man. What about Naruto?
Naruto. He thought. I'm sorry.
"Fire Release: Fireball Jutsu"!
A scream suddenly erupted near him as fire engulfed Mizuki. The man fell backwards, swiftly letting go of the pinkette. The smell of burning flesh was acrid and permeated everything in the vicinity.
Tsubaki rolled onto his side, coughing and sputtering as he tried to get his breathing under control.
Pat, pat, pat, pat.
Dimly, Tsubaki recognized the sound as footsteps. Frankly, he had never been so grateful for them in his life.
Tsubaki screwed his eyes shut tightly, a small smile on his face as the sweet hand of oblivion guided him to sleep.