Author's Note: Hey guys! So sorry I haven't been around lately but it's getting to be that crunch time in school where everyone's trying to cram in as much work as they can, but I know that's no excuse. And all I can do is apologize for that, and apologize in advance cuz it might be a while before I update again. One thing I'd like to know, is which story you guys are really waiting on cuz that way I can focus on a single thing and maybe get some good writing done. Just pop me a message! Anyway, this is a sequel to The Haruchi Maki Chronicles, my personal favorite story of all my writing. Similar to how THMC was based on an original idea and odd belief of mine (connections becoming tangible and being empowered with influential energy), so too is this story based. The "belief" will again be about the power contained within all of us though this will be a personal power, not a collective one. This fic takes place 10 years after the last chapter of THMC and will be 5 chapters long. I hope you take the time to read it and find something to enjoy within these nearly-2000 words.
A Different Kind of Light: A Sequel to the Haruchi Maki Chronicles
"Say you're sorry to your sister."
"No."
"Masaru."
"No!"
"Masaru Yosou Uchiha."
"Ah-ha-ha! Masa got middle-named!"
"Haruchi Maki Uchiha."
"Sorry, Mom."
Name: Masaru Yosou Uchiha
It had been a full ten years since Masaru Uchiha had been chastised for stuffing sand down his sister's shirt. Those years had been good. Konoha was in better shape than ever, under the proud leadership of Hokage Naruto Uzumaki, flourishing with heaps of promise from the next generation.
Masaru was a prime example, a proud carrier of the Will of Fire. Lean and strong, Masaru stood tall at six feet – a carbon copy of his father when he had been young – and was still growing. Famously known for his skill and bearing threatening twin blades, it surprised many to discover that the youth carried an air of ease and comfort about him. He was kind and approachable, with an inviting aura and a maturity that exceeded his age. But once one disregarded the fact that he was a shinobi, it was easy to see that he was, still, just a boy.
"Masaru! Wait up a minute!"
Obedient to the voice's command, the sixteen year old turned over his shoulder to look down Konoha's busy roads, pausing in his purposeful stride towards home. Seeing that it was his older sister pursuing him, Masaru instinctively straightened his spine and lifted his chin, prominently displaying his family's crest on his strong back, seeping pride into the air around him. It was always important that people treat an Uchiha with the utmost respect, even if that person was another Uchiha – or so his father had always taught him.
Haruchi Uchiha often forgot to regard the lessons from their father.
Hunched over on her knees and breathing hard, Haruchi managed to a question in between undignified breaths, "Is – Is it true?"
Masaru couldn't be sure what she was talking about. He remained silent.
"Are you – actually – leaving to Rain?" Ah, he suspected she might have found out.
Nodding regally, Masaru replied, "I am."
His sister's face fell dramatically; Masaru thought she had always been incompetent at concealing her inner emotions, just like their mother. Invisibly, he braced himself for the inevitable argument about to occur – the one that always occurred whenever he received a mission that she wanted.
"But that's…" she began to mumble.
Jumping to cut her off, he tried to console her, "It's just a routine reconnaissance to make sure no one's stirring up Rain again. I don't know why you want to do it so badly, everyone says it's excruciatingly boring."
"I know, but that's not the point," breath finally regained, Haruchi stood upright. "The only reason the Rain mission exists is because of the Akatsuki; it's rooted in history. And it's only given to those the elder's and Hokage trust inexplicably."
Unconsciously caressing the metal plate on her left bicep, Masaru became momentarily distracted and took a moment to admire the engraved leaf insignia that lay there – a copy of the one sported on his forehead. The one she wore was technically Masaru's old headband – his first, really – as Haruchi had carelessly lost hers in a scuffle on her first C-rank mission. She was only a Genin then, barely out of the Academy, and she had been so upset when she got back. As her brother, it had been his duty to cheer her up. It looked like that was still the case.
"Haruchi -"
"I've been a Chunin for four years already, ever since I was thirteen." Her black eyes were shadowed by her olive bangs. "I passed the exams the very first time I entered – as a rookie, just like you. Every mission I've ever taken on has ended in absolute success, just like you. I'm an Uchiha, just. Like. You."
"Sis-"
"-Why are you more special than I am?"
Silence hung between the two siblings. While it was true that Haruchi gave no shame to the Uchiha name, it was Masaru who was the true prodigy of the family. He had passed the Chunin exams the same year that Haruchi had, having skipped a year of the Academy because of exponential talent. The family had been equally excited for both of them; and their face off in the final match of the third test had left the village talking for weeks.
Masaru had won.
Not easily of course – Haruchi rarely made anything easy for him. But he defeated her all the same. From then on, he seemed to keep beating her; excelling in complicated jutsu and receiving more challenging missions than she did. Within the year he was recommended to become Jounin. Out of consideration for Haruchi, he had declined. They had become Genin together – though they hadn't been on the same team – and they had been promoted to Chunin together. Masaru had wished to uphold the pattern. However, despite the technicality of his official rank, the village insisted on treating him according to his skills and he was constantly given missions far above his position. Haruchi often resented him for this.
Testing her current mood towards him, he asked, "Do you want me to decline the mission?"
Haruchi's eyes snapped to meet his, a hurt gaze turned sharp and angry. "No, that's not what I want!"
As much as she hurt, she did love Masaru with all her heart – she was proud to have such a good brother. Not just because he was talented or a little famous, but because he was her brother – he was Masa. And she was excited for him that he was so trusted by the village but…
"What do you want then?"
Seeming to think up of a compromise, Haruchi brightened as an idea came to her. "I want you to come with me on my mission."
Masaru blinked a couple times to make sure she wasn't kidding. She didn't correct herself.
"You want me to what?"
"Come on my mission with me! It's only for a week and I was told to gather my own team as I saw fit. You and I alone would be more than enough to get the job done."
Masaru sighed and trapped a hand in his dark hair, mussing it up more than it already was.
"Oh, come on Masa!" Masaru's face twitched before he glared. He detested it when she called him that. "When was the last time we took a mission together? I'll tell you when, two and a half years ago! And it was a petty, little delivery mission that lasted a single weekend!"
"Haruchi, I've got the Rain reconnaissance mission to prep for."
"But that's six weeks away!"
"And I'm meant to be on leave until then! You know how important this mission is; I'm not supposed to do anything that could compromise me beforehand."
"You wouldn't be compromising anything of yourself! It's a simple, B-ranked, escort mission!"
"B-rank is not what I call uncompromising."
"What, you think you and I couldn't handle a couple of rouge Chunins on the road?"
Masaru scoffed and turned back towards home. It was his typical signal to Haruchi that he was annoyed with her. She couldn't just drag him into a mission whenever she damn well pleased. Especially when he had just been gifted with a sign of absolute trust from the heads of the village – did she have any idea how long and hard he had worked to earn that trust? He hadn't gotten it by sneaking his siblings out on missions they were forbidden from accepting!
"It's rude to just walk away when someone's talking to you, Masa!"
He walked faster.
"Hey!"
Blocking his path Haruchi shot a glare up at him to be met with one just as fierce. It was times like these that she really hated the growth spurts he had undergone when they were both Genin. He had stood three inches taller than her when they first registered for the Chunin exams. Now, with her at five feet, three inches, it was just embarrassing how tall he was in comparison to her.
"I said no, Haruchi."
"No you didn't!" She grinned and her eyes gave off that funny sparkle, as if their bickering were her favorite sort of game. It probably was. "You never said that!"
"I'm saying it now." He tried to walk around her but she blocked him off again. He tried to resist growling at her. He settled for the signature Uchiha scowl instead.
It was enough to get his message across as Haruchi sighed and dropped her playful ploy. She gave a sigh and started her apology, "I'm sorry, Masaru."
He snorted.
"I am!" He remained unconvinced.
"Look, I know how important your mission is and I don't blame you for being trusted with it; I would assign it to you too if I were in charge. It's just that whenever you're not on a mission, I am and when neither of us is out, Mom and Dad are so we're left to take care of everyone else! We haven't even trained together in months…" she dropped her gaze to their feet and began fiddling with her bangs – a clear sign that she was embarrassed. The not-Jounin-Chunin allowed his scowl to fade. Rarely was he truly upset with his sister. He knew that she only missed him and couldn't say it in so many words.
"I know you could easily be Jounin already and you're just waiting for me to catch up. But when you go and get assigned big missions like the Rain reconnaissance it just makes me feel like you're leaving me in the dust."
Masaru softened his posture. He loved Haruchi, he did. He never meant to make her feel like she wasn't cherished by him. But he knew that she had always had issues with him being the prodigy, especially since he was the younger of the two. Similar to their mother, Haruchi Uchiha faced problems concerning her confidence and self-esteem. Being the eldest, she always felt she should be protector of the family but often felt she wasn't strong enough for the job.
Sighing again, this time in resigned annoyance, Masaru grumbled, "Couldn't you have just said that you missed me?"
Haruchi punched his arm with a grin. "I'm too old to be that soft."
"Oh right, my mistake big sis. You've become so much shorter lately, I mistook you to be a teenager."
Haruchi punched him again. "So you'll come?"
"I'd be breaking a couple of laws. And oaths."
"Which will only be a problem if someone finds out!"
"What about Mom and Dad?"
"Have you told them about your mission?"
"Not yet."
"Then problem solved! In fact, problem nonexistent!"
Masaru grinned and shook his head in amusement. That's what Haruchi always said whenever they were about to cause mischief in their childhood. And he'd always reply with…
"I blame you if anything goes wrong."
Haruchi cackled a little. "Bring it on, little brother."
Masaru grudgingly let her ruffle his hair and made a show of walking past her again, though this time he kept a leisurely pace to allow her to walk by his side. This is how they'd always been and, secretly, it's how he hoped they always would be.
"Now," his sister said coyly, looping an arm through his, "Inoko said you were in the shop yesterday buying flowers. Were they, perhaps, a gift for a recently-promoted Miso Uzumaki?"
Scoffing, Masaru looked away but wasn't able to battle away the blush before his sister caught it. She erupted into a fit of giggles and he tried his best to ignore her – and the rest of her prodding, personal questions – until they arrived home and informed their parents of their mission. As soon as they were given permission to pack, Haruchi returned to her interrogation with a vengeance. Masaru silently prayed for patience.
Just what had he signed up for?
Current Status: Adventuring
